Sylvia Rivera '13

I graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a Master's degree, and it was a challenging journey. I was pregnant in my last year and my father passed away while I was in grad school, but I had a supportive cohort of classmates and professors who helped me through it. Graduation day was emotional, but I was so proud of myself for making it through. I still keep in touch with a few people from my cohort, and I'm grateful for the opportunities that my degree has opened up for me. I feel like I've grown and changed a lot as a person, and I'm thankful for the experience.