Davares Robinson knows from experience that the academic journey can be full of twists and turns. He came to UC Davis to pursue a pre-med curriculum and become an anesthesiologist, but today he is keenly focused on educational justice and equity.
He will graduate this spring as a political science-public service major and wants to influence higher education policy and bolster student retention for marginalized communities.
Marcelo Lopez hopes the tremendous challenges he’s overcome can inspire others to reach their own educational goals.
Lopez was raised by a single mother in a low-income household and attended 11 different middle schools. His mother passed away when he was 16, leaving him and four siblings behind. Lopez entered the foster care system and says he barely graduated from high school.
Each quarter, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences invites students to take a break from the stresses of finals to stop in for coffee, hot chocolate and quick snacks like macaroni and cheese or oatmeal. With no in-person finals this quarter, it wasn’t going to happen, which gave the three staffers who organize the event an idea.
“I asked my team if we could use the budget we typically use and deliver supplies to some resources available on campus,” said Layne DeLorme, student engagement coordinator for Undergraduate Academic Programs.
