- As soon as I stepped into the campus,
I just felt like I belonged here.
- You feel like you have this bigger
community here on campus.
- UCR has been a big place of growth for me.
It has been my second home.
- I feel like this school really embody the type
of community I grew up in.
- I've met a lot of people and built a lot of
relationships that I know will
last a really, really long time.
- And I think those are connections I never thought possible
- The faculty members here and the students here at UCR
they want nothing but for us to success.
- You're allowed to have multiple opinions on things.
Like you can learn from the differences together.
So that's been like the biggest lesson UCR has taught me.
- This is where I decided that I want to make a change
for myself, for my community, for my family
and hopefully I can make a change for the world.
- Grateful for again, the opportunities that were
afforded to me through my parents, through UCR.
- Yes college is attainable.
It's actually not as far off in the distance as it sounds.
(envelope ripping)
- What I have in my hand is a letter from my mom and my dad
of what graduation means to them and my family.
- I'm nervous (laughs)
- To my dearest daughter, Annie
- To our beloved son, Joshua
- Querida hija
- The word proud doesn't quite describe
how we feel about you.
Oh my gosh, I am not ready (laughs)
- I haven't even started them and I was already crying.
- It seemed like yesterday when your mom took you to
school for the first time.
- Tu vas a llegar a ser alguien
importante en nuestra familia
- Ever since our family moved to America,
we have seen all your hard work towards your education
- You are the first of my children to graduate
- My hard work has my daughter where she is at,
At the end of her college years
- Y mira ahora donde has llegado
- I can speak for my family and say that you are
setting the standard for all generations to come.
- Nosotros nos sentimos muy orgullosos porque
ella tuvo la oportunidad de estudar a un nivel alto
ya que nostros no podimos lograrlo.
- You are our American dream
- It means the answered prayers of all those
immigrant parents and grandparents that pray
for a better life for their families.
- Tambien quiero decirte que eres un orgullo de mi familia,
el primero en graduarse de una universidad.
- We both are sorry that we couldn't do more for you,
to help you along this journey,
but neither of us made it as far as you have in college.
- Una guerrera, un ejemplo a seguir
para tus hermanos y familiares y amigos.
- Nunca perdiste enforque de tu escuela
y te graduaste con honores y a final UC Riverside
te acepto como parte de su equipo.
- You are my sister, my best friend, my inspiration.
Everyone thinks wow she really looks up to her sister.
- Y ha aprendido mucho de ti.
Tu me has enseñado que todo lo que uno su propone
en esta vida se puede lograr.
- My heart is beating so fast of happiness,
My angel will finally be graduating from UCR.
- Thank you UCR for being a part of our family's
educational journey from embracing, guiding and nurturing
our nation's first generation college
graduates to completion.
- Quiero agradeserles a todos los maestros
porque gracias a ellos y al conosimentos
has logrado graduate.
- I want to thank every professor and staff
that helped my daughter come to the end of this chapter.
- Que dios te siga
Oh my God I'm gonna cry
Te amamos.
- I truly believe your grandpa and the rest of our
family in Taiwan are just as proud of you.
- Y le pido mucho a Dios que me de
muchos años mas de vida y salud para
segir tus triumphos y logros.
- Al fin te cuentas, se pudo graduar en la clase de 2019.
- Love mommy and daddy (laughs)
- Sincerely and with a heart of gratitude,
Felix and Barbara Rivera.
- I love you and I will always be here for you.
That was my mom.
- My parents are honestly the only reason why I'm here
I just didn't have it in me without them, you know.
- They left their country with nothing,
right, and sacrificed so much so I could be here today.
- They made all theses sacrifices for my family,
it meant everything and I just hope that one day
I can support him, the way he has supported our family.
- I've always told my parents that I'll pay you back.
This is how I'm paying them back,
with my education.
- They are the ones who really said, you can do it Josh.
Even when I didn't think I could do it myself.
- I did it, not just for myself, but also for my family.
- It was worth the struggles.
It was worth the tears.
- Having that diploma, that B.A.,
is going to open so many other opportunities for me.
- It gives me this feeling in my throat because I did it.
My hard work finally paid off, you know.
- Not everyday you go to university
to see your daughter graduate.
- Especially because it's going to be Father's Day,
and so I know my dad's is gonna be super proud,
having his first son graduating.
- When I think about it, I'm just, I'm just really excited
for them, and it's just really gonna mean
a lot for me and for the rest of my family.
- I'm gonna keep moving forwards, setting goals,
and bettering my life, but not only my life,
my family and my community.
- This just motivates me and you know,
I'm looking forward to graduating more now.
- It's not the end, it's more of like a new beginning.
- UCR, first gen student, I graduated.
- I love my family.
This is for them.