Jennifer Rivera, ’25

Jennifer is a first-generation, Latina, third-year student at UCLA, double majoring in Chicano Studies and Labor Studies as well as pursuing a minor in Spanish. Jennifer grew up in Mid-City, Los Angeles and is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants from Puebla, Mexico.

At UCLA, Jennifer is a peer counselor for the Latinx retention program, Mecha Calmecac, in which she helps historically marginalized students navigate higher education. She is also a mentor to low-income middle school students in the LAUSD school district through an on-campus organization, Women and Youth Supporting Each Other. Her other involvements also include Flying Samaritans at UCLA and Days for Girls, which both have public health focuses. Jennifer recently spent the summer of 2023 studying abroad in Rome, Italy, via UCEAP, where she had the opportunity to fulfill her dream of studying abroad in Italy and traveling around Europe. She hopes to study abroad again soon and is looking forward to an amazing school year.

Although Jennifer is unsure of what the future holds for her, she aspires to become an advocate for marginalized communities through her interests and passions in law, non-profits, education, and public health. She feels incredibly lucky to be a recipient of the Norma J. Ehrlich Scholarship and will use the support and guidance of the scholarship and her family to achieve her goals.

In her free time, she enjoys reading, crocheting, watching Netflix, swimming, and drinking Starbucks.