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As Valeria entered the college application process in her final stretch of high school, she knew she wanted a different, new experience from the small, insular preparatory school where she had spent the last four years of her life. Looking for a place that could fulfill her dreams, she finally set her sights on one college: UMass Amherst.

Coming from the town of Billerica, Massachusetts, Valeria—yearning for new experiences—immediately fell in love with the wide-ranging diversity of people, resources, and perspectives that UMass offered.

“When I toured UMass, I realized the abundance of resources that come with a large university,” Valeria said. “With a large school comes a wide array of different ideologies, backgrounds, perspectives, and … every day I meet [people] of different backgrounds,” which was something that Valeria had never had many experiences with before, she said.

While Valeria did tour a number of other colleges, she felt dissuaded by how other institutions approached student success and what she considered a lack of encouragement for self-discipline. At UMass, Valeria feels that the university does a tremendous job at making students be self-starters and seize any and all opportunities that they can get, all while still providing a great safety net with the vast amount of support services. In addition, UMass’ sprawling campus and immediate proximity to stores, people, and culture made Valeria’s decision to attend UMass easy.

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“UMass really teaches you to put that first foot forward and to shake that hand first, just because once you get into the real world, no one's handing anything to you,” Valeria said.

Here at UMass, Valeria arrived into the political science program with a focus on pre-law, with the hopes of entering the legal field or government after graduation and further education. Taking advantage of the multitude of clubs and organizations UMass offers, she immediately thrust herself into school clubs, from joining the Outing Club for hikes around picturesque Pioneer Valley to orbiting around cultural groups that connect her to people of similar identity as a child of Colombian and Italian immigrants.

Additionally, Valeria has used her resources within the Commonwealth Honors College to further her academic career as an undergraduate research assistant, as well as taking the initial steps in founding a chapter of Kappa Alpha Pi, a co-educational pre-law and government professional fraternity in which she serves as vice president. A sophomore, she is most excited for the opportunity to spend time in our nation’s capital with the School of Behavioral & Social Sciences’ program SBS in DC, which places students in Washington and connects them with full-time internships in a variety of industries, all while continuing their studies.

While coming from a small school to UMass’s campus with more than 30,000 students felt daunting, she emphasizes that just after a week she, and many of her peers, felt right at home. Getting involved, using professor office hours, and making connections with classmates all made the transition seamless. Getting out of your comfort zone and seizing all that comes to you are the keys to success, Valeria said.