CHCI-HEP CAMP Association Intern
Hometown: Woodland, California
School: California State University- Long Beach
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Placement: The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics
Rebeca was born in Davis, California and just one month later, her family decided to return back to Sonora, Mexico, where she spent the first five years of her life. Her family returned to the United States permanently in 2002, where they lived in migrant camps in Northern California during the tomato harvesting season. Rebeca repeated first grade because she did not know English, but by fifth grade she was enrolled in advanced classes. In middle school she graduated with a 4.0 GPA and went on to high school where she was an active student, participating in clubs, sports, and community service.
Today, Rebeca is pursuing a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering at California State University, Long Beach. She is part of the Experimental Sounding Rocket Association and the Beach Engineering Student Success Team. In addition, she is a mentor for Future Girls @ the Beach program, where she encourages girls in high school to pursue a career in engineering. The struggles her parents have endured have motivated her to persevere and continue to pursue new opportunities.
As a CHCI and HEP CAMP Intern, Rebeca hopes to expand her collaboration and leadership skills in order to become a good community leader. When she returns to California, she wants to share all the knowledge she gains in Washington D.C. with fellow students both in Long Beach and in her migrant community. Rebeca’s goal is to become an astronaut and to have a positive impact on the world. Like Jose Hernandez, she hopes to show others like herself who come from parents who work under the sun that they too can reach the sky if they are persistent and stand up every time they fall down.