Olvia Graeve, Ph.D.

Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

My backstory

I’m a fifth-generation Baja Californian. Like my parents, I was born and raised in Tijuana, right across the border from San Diego. What prompted me to consider UC San Diego is that it’s very close to the border.

What motivated me to go to college?

I had very inspirational teachers who were very interested in my success and who kept steering me toward considering a college degree. I can think of one particular teacher in junior high school, my chemistry teacher, who was very inspirational. When I got to high school, my math, chemistry and physics teachers were also very influential. The case of having effective teaching at the junior high and high school levels — having teachers who care and are involved with their students and who provide that mentorship — I think is key for first-generation students, and it certainly was for me.

What I would tell my freshman self?

Realize that there is light at the end of the tunnel. There is a four- or five-year experience coming at you that will be a positive experience. And at the end of the day, you are going to have a wonderful degree that will take you places in life.

How my background helped me?

I’m the oldest of five children from a single mother. My father left when I was 6 years old. I had to more or less raise my baby brother, and I think that gave me a level of resilience that allowed me to come to a new environment like a University of California school. I was able to say, “Ok, I raised my brother, I can get through college.” Having a mom who had to work two jobs and all the support that she needed to make sure that we were ok. I think as the oldest I had to take on much of that responsibility. I didn’t realize it at the time, but that has really made me a person who can face any challenge and get through it.

The best thing about my college experience?

The best thing about my college experience was the friends that I made. They are lifelong friends. My experience at UC San Diego was hugely positive. I was part of a minority engineering program and that is really where I found the most kindred spirits and the most positive community that I could have had.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Gage Marquez

Undergraduate Student at UC San Diego

My Backstay

I was born in Salinas, California, a small agricultural town located in Monterey County. I come from a biracial family, and am the oldest of two younger brothers. I was born to a father who worked from the ground up in construction to provide for his family and a mother whose loyalty and devotion to her family continue to inspire me everyday. Although neither of them attended college, they knew the importance of education. It was their sacrifice that allowed us to leave everything behind and move to Clovis, California, a transition that changed my life forever. There, I became immersed in the outstanding academic programs my high school offered, allowing me to graduate in the top of my class. I also became an avid runner, utilizing the district's competitive programs to compete in the Cross Country and Track and Field Junior Olympics. Inspiration from my coaches and family motivated me to pursue longer races, which is why I qualified and will be competing in the Boston Marathon in 2019. I owe all these accomplishments to both God and my family, for enduring so much adversity to give me a better life. 

What motivated me to go to college?

Statistics are what motivated me to go to college. Where I was born, our community did not weigh a strong emphasis on college. While education was often neglected, gang violence and drugs became a part of everyday life. I was not about to become just another statistic. To break this pattern, college became my one and only priority. On my birthday, I received a phone call and cried tears of joy when I learned it was to congratulate me on my acceptance into my first choice university, UCSD. I will never forget how blessed I am to be here at one of the world's top universities and all the opportunity San Diego has to offer. Fast forward to today, I have not forgotten my good fortune. As an active student on campus, I raise funds for our university through our calling center and am a founder of one of our clubs here known as the Neurodegenerative Disease Awareness Association (NDAA). 

What would you tell your freshman self? 

There are a lot of people here jockeying for an internship/lab opportunity. This year I secured an opportunity at CorTechs Labs by simply attending an alumni outreach event on campus and talking to alumni in the biological industry. So to freshman Gage I would say, get involved as much as you can at the university. Take the time to learn and discover what UCSD has to offer, not just in your field of interest, but somewhere new. Absorb as much experience as you can so you can truly understand what your purpose in life is. Find something you are passionate about and be a part of it. Do not just show up to events and sit in the background, be engaging and don't be afraid to put yourself out there