Faces of the Freshman Class

New Students Take different routes to UC Berkeley

This year's freshman class at UC Berkeley includes approximately 4,300 students, with nearly one-third hailing from the Bay Area. Fifty-nine of these students are part of Berkeley's Incentive Awards Program (IAP), which provides a scholarship of up to $32,000 and support services to low-income and first-generation college students. In this issue, Cal Neighbors shares the stories of three Bay Area IAP scholars and the paths that led them to UC Berkeley.

Alice Tam: The Power of Persistence
Alice Tam has learned that perseverance pays off. Growing up in Oakland's Dimond District, Tam often found herself acting as the interpreter and advocate for her parents and grandmother, who emigrated from China in the mid-'80s. If they had a billing issue, Tam would call and speak with the company's representative to get the matter resolved. Although Tam was still in grade school, she quickly honed her patient yet thorough approach.

At age 15, Tam became concerned about unsafe traffic near her house and other issues in her neighborhood and decided to try to do something about it. She called the office of her city councilmember, Jean Quan, to find out what her office did and how they could help. During that initial conversation, she asked Quan's chief of staff if she could become an intern.

It took several months of periodic follow-up calls before Tam was interviewed, then a couple more before she finally got the news she was hoping for: she'd landed the internship.

Making a Difference Through Politics
During that internship, which began the summer before her junior year, Tam researched historical biases against female council members in Oakland and also helped conduct a survey about quality of life in the Laurel District. The experience led Tam to a subsequent internship with then-State Assemblywoman Wilma Chan.

At UC Berkeley, Tam plans to pursue a major in political science and an eventual career in politics. "I want everyone to feel that they have a voice," she explained.

Tam, whose secret passion is interior design, also admits to being a cooking show junkie. Because her parents both work long hours, Tam often cooks dinner for the family and helps her 11-year-old sister with her homework. Tam hopes that her sister is absorbing life lessons from her as well. "I really want her to feel that she can create her own path."

Carmen Buckner: Journey to Berkeley via Guatemala
For Carmen Buckner, the road to UC Berkeley included a two-year sojourn to her parents' home country of Guatemala. Buckner attended local public elementary and middle schools in San Jose, but was urged by the school's counselors to find a more challenging environment that would be a better fit with her abilities. That's when the Buckner family devised a creative solution.

Buckner's grandparents, who lived with the family but were Guatemala natives, offered to take Buckner and her brother back to their home country so they could enhance their school experience. So, in the summer before her freshman year in high school, Buckner, her younger brother and her grandparents moved to the outskirts of Guatemala City.

Buckner, who was raised speaking both Spanish and English, adjusted quickly to her new school, which spanned kindergarten through 12th grade and had fewer than 300 students.

On the weekends, Buckner enjoyed soaking up the city's crowded, vibrant atmosphere, including the bustling local outdoor markets that included everything from live animals to live music.

Returning Home
Returning home to San Jose in her junior year at James Lick High School, Buckner was surprised to find that many of her classes weren't transferable, but opted to take a heavy course load in order to fulfill all of her pre-college requirements.

As a senior, Buckner was chosen to participate in the district-run East Side Union Student Ambassador Program, which was formed to help increase graduation rates of Latino students. As part of this, Buckner helped organize a local summit for freshmen and sophomore high-school students to help them understand the college preparation process.

Buckner is a self-described San Jose Sharks fan and plays acoustic and electric guitar. She may soon have company at Berkeley. Her brother, who accompanied Buckner on her journey to Guatemala and is now a high-school freshman at her alma mater, hopes to follow in her footsteps. 

Maurice Grayson: An Advocate for High School AP Classes
For the last six years, Maurice Grayson of Emeryville has been preparing for college, seeking out extra classes and opportunities wherever he could. In seventh grade, he joined UC Berkeley's Early Academic Outreach Program Pre-College Academy, a program aimed at high-achieving, low-income students who will be the first in their families to attend college. Throughout the school year, EAOP academic counselors helped him stay on track and monitored his progress.

In high school, Grayson was one of only a handful of students qualified to take advanced placement classes at Emery High School. During his junior year, Grayson learned that the cash-strapped school was planning on cutting the classes due to low enrollment. So Grayson met with the school's principal, vice principal and counselors, then circulated a petition among teachers and eligible students to raise awareness of the importance of AP classes in preparing students for college. As a result of his efforts, the school devised a plan to open certain classes, such as AP English and history, to both juniors and seniors so that the classes would have enough students to be viable.

A Passion for Learning
Grayson used the experience as a platform for his election as student body president. Later, he served as chief editor for the school's yearbook, teaching himself the layout software needed to do the yearbook's design.

Grayson's interest in computer programming extends to his spare time as well, when he enjoys creating computer games. He also writes several blogs that he maintains on his MySpace page and plays trombone at his church's weekly services.

Three of Grayson's four siblings will be students at Emery High School next year. "They can see that I'm pursuing my passion," Grayson said. "I hope that they'll do the same."

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