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ALUMNI SUCCESS


“I am honored to be a part of the 10,000 Degrees Family.“

Alex Davila
10,000 Degrees Alumnus
University of California, Santa Cruz, 2020

“10,000 degrees has been an invaluable support. They’ve been tremendously helpful in providing me with career guidance and internship opportunities. It’s very clear that each individual person at the organization really cares about the students and they want to see us succeed.”

Amairani Roman
10,000 Degrees Alumna
University of California, Santa Barbara 2020

“Before 10,000 degrees I was lost because I had no guidance, but after being apart of this organization I gained people who actually cared and saw me through to my success. 10,000 degrees helped me beat the odds when the odds were set against me.”

Bilqis Askari
10,000 Degrees Alumna
California State University, East Bay 2020

“10,000 Degrees has provided an endless amount support which has helped me build the courage to achieve for higher levels of education that I once could only dream of.”

Claudia Campos
10,000 Degrees Alumna
University of California, Berkley 2017
University of Southern California, 2019

“10,000 degrees helped me open doors where I thought there were none.”

Cleo Hadid
10,000 Degrees Alumna
California State University, Chico 2020

“The support and guidance offered by 10,000 degrees is like no other. They wholeheartedly believe in you.”

Kevin Rojas De León
10,000 Degrees Alumnus
University of California, Berkeley, 2020


I AM ONE DEGREE


As a first-generation, undocumented, woman of color, 10,000 Degrees alumna Ariana Aparicio Aguilar says she didn’t let the fact that she lacked a social security number hold her back from accomplishing her dreams. “ If anything, it has motivated me to go further in life than I expected,” she says.

Ariana’s achievements are beyond impressive – she has diplomas from not one but three universities: Santa Rosa Junior College, Sonoma State University, and Harvard University! And in 2025, she’ll add a fourth, when she completes her Ph.D. from UC Riverside.

Ariana has a message for our college students in the midst of the pandemic: “You are courageous in the fact that you’re in school right now … Don’t give up. Know that you have people in your corner, people like at 10,000 Degrees and other mentors … who want to see you succeed … I know you can do it.”

Ariana, who is now a research assistant at the Immigration Initiative at Harvard, dreams of being a president of a university one day. “I want to impact the majority of students and continue providing access, retention, and support for underrepresented students, not just undocumented students, but all students,” she says.

Meet 10,000 Degrees Alumna and Fellow, Brissa Teodoro, and learn how she is ONE DEGREE of change! Brissa is a Sonoma State graduate (2018) with Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Studies, with an emphasis on Education. She’s currently in her 3rd year working as a 10,000 Degrees Fellow, helping middle school students in Marin City transition to high school.

Brissa co-created a personalized program with her current manager and former advisor, Rondell Gibson – a full-circle moment – focusing on topics she learned and grew from herself, and wished she had known about while in middle and high school. To any student who is facing challenging times, Brissa says, “You have an entire community rooting for you … we are always here for you.”

Meet 10,000 Degrees Alumna and KRON4 News Producer, Cinthia Tafoya! Cinthia wishes to show her family and community that you can achieve all your goals through hard work and determination, no matter where you come from.

With a Bachelor’s in Atmospheric Science from UC Irvine, Cinthia dreams of one day joining KRON4’s weather team. Today, she’s a KRON4 News Producer for San Francisco’s 3:00 p.m. broadcast and occasional anchor for their News App. Cinthia credits 10,000 Degrees support – from introducing her to the UC Irvine campus, to helping her graduate debt-free, to offering her a job right out of college.

Meet 10,000 Degrees Alumnus, Eugen Xie, and learn how he is ONE DEGREE of change! Eugen is a San Francisco native, recently graduated from UC, Irvine with a B.A. in Business Economics and Statistics and is working as a consultant at Oliver Wyman.

His parents were immigrants and instilled the importance of education in him: ” it’s a path for upward mobility, better opportunities, higher quality of life, everything they aspired for and wanted for him.

Being part of 10,000 Degrees allowed him to build life-long relationships with his mentors and advisors who inspired him to become a better version of himself. He is passionate about educational equity and social impact, and hopes to make an impact with organizations close to his heart like 10,000 Degrees.

  • "Thanks to 10,000 Degrees, I've learned how to help my students who can then go out and help their communities."

    Carolina Garcia, English Teacher, Herbert Slater Middle School | Dominican University of California, BA 2014, Teaching Credential 2015, MS 2016

  • "Inspired by the help I received from 10,000 Degrees, I mobilize health and education resources to underserved communities."

    Abigail Cadelina, 6th Grade Writing Teacher, KIPP Summit Academy | Dominican University of California, 2005

  • "10,000 Degrees is the reason I got a college education."

    Pedro Moura, Co-Founder & CEO, Flourish | University of California, Davis, 2010 | University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business, 2018

  • "10,000 Degrees inspires me to serve people through my profession and to look for opportunities to give back."

    Tam Tiet, Physician, Sutter Health | University of San Francisco, 2005 | Ross University School of Medicine, 2012 | UC Davis Family Medicine Residency Network, 2015

  • "Our highest calling is to serve others. 10,000 Degrees ensures generation after generation can answer this call."

    Josh Fryday, Chief Service Officer, California Volunteers, Office of the Governor | University of California, Berkeley, 2003 | University of California, Berkeley School of Law, 2009

  • "10,000 Degrees is the bridge between hopes and dreams, and Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate Degrees."

    Mario Ernesto Lopez, Associate Director of Admissions & Diversity Initiatives | University of California, Davis, 2007 | University of California, Hastings College of the Law, 2015

  • "10,000 Degrees allowed me to dream and accomplish beyond what I thought I could."

    Denia Candela, Equity Metrics Consultant, DCEquityMethods | Sonoma State University, 2016

  • "10,000 Degrees is an amazing and life-changing program."

    Angelica Quirarte, Deputy Director, California Office of Digital Innovation | University of California, Santa Barbara, 2013

  • "10,000 Degrees opened the door for me to go to college."

    Angel Ku, Research Scientist, Discovery Science, Varian Medical Systems | San Francisco State University, 2012 | University of California, San Francisco, 2019

  • "I’m not sure what I would have done if I wasn’t part of 10,000 Degrees."

    Cindy Ku, Paralegal/Office Administrator, Brent & Fiol, LLP | San Francisco State University, 2009

  • "What makes 10,000 Degrees a great organization is the community they bring to a student who may not know what to do to get into college."

    Dan Macias, Enterprise Account Executive, Zendesk | University of San Francisco, 2008

  • "If there is an opportunity that 10,000 Degrees can give to you, be mindful of what you need to do, and make that opportunity happen."

    Etoyia Roberts, Educator | Holy Names University, 2001

  • "It is critical that we have an organization like 10,000 Degrees to help people achieve their college dreams."

    Jorge Lee, The Green Entrepreneur | Georgetown University, 2003

  • "10,000 Degrees changes many lives the same way it changed mine. They helped me find my passion."

    Monica Oliva-Jimenez, TA Operations Program Manager, AutoDesk | Saint Mary’s College of California, 2006

  • "10,000 Degrees was really there all along the way, helping me realize what was truly possible."

    Saul Peña, Vice President, Dodge & Cox | University of San Francisco, 2000

  • "If it were not for 10,000 Degrees scholarships I would not be where I am today."

    Brigitte Moran, CEO, Agriculture Institute of Marin | Dominican University of California, 1984

  • "If you have the desire, 10,000 Degrees will make sure you get through college."

    Pepe Gonzalez, Principal, Laurel Dell Elementary School | Sonoma State University, 2008 | Dominican University of California, 2002

Are you an alumni of 10,000 Degrees?

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