Jessica De Anda is a public speaker, content creator and an Executive Coach who empowers over 3k+ employees to build their personal strategy to progress in their career. Jessica currently works as the Director of MBA Career Programming at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business where she is a thought partner to alumni and students. Jessica grew up in an immigrant household both food and housing insecure. Her experiences as a first gen Latina student in higher education studying Biology, Chicanx Studies and Education drove her to become the culturally affirming staff member she never had.

Building Your Personal Brand One Story At A Time 

Presenter: Jessica De Anda

SCDI 3301

This session is for FLI students. Do you ever dread answering the question, "tell me about yourself?" Do you want to be well known in your field? Your personal branding story can help you market yourself and become a leading voice in your field. Jessica has built her personal brand to become a public speaker on topics such as leadership development, communication, and storytelling. She is a public speaker focused on empowering others to tell their own story. In this session you will learn how to tell your personal brand story and confidently answer the following questions:

• What is your story?
• Who is your audience?
• What are your goals?
• What are your metrics?

Target Audience: SCU & Community College Students

Becoming a FLI Advocate

Presenter: Jessica Johns

SCDI 3302

In this session for faculty and staff, we will discuss who first-generation college students and limited-income students are, their strengths and talents, and the challenges that they face at SCU and the broader community. Participants will also explore how they can be FLI advocates, supporting students and ensuring that their departments, programs and other initiatives are accessible to FLI students.

Target Audience: SCU Faculty & Staff

Closing Equity Gaps: Addressing Student Basic Needs at SCU

Presenter: Christopher Bacon and Student Researchers (P. Ursua-Garcia, K. Duffy and M. Xiang) 

SCDI 1302

More than a third of students at California’s public universities experienced food insecurity last year. In one of the earlier studies at a private university, we conducted 750+ surveys and 20+ interviews in 2022-23 finding that 35% of SCU students experienced food insecurity, an increase since 2020. Across all years, significant disparities persisted as African American /Black, Latinx, Middle Eastern /North African /Arab, International, and bi/multi-race students reported more unmet needs. SCU recently launched a basic needs committee and draft action plan. We conclude with a dialogue about how to increase access to culturally relevant foods and support mutual aid.

Target Audience: SCU Faculty, Staff, and Students

Beyond Access: Building a Campus of Belonging

SCDI 3302

Moderator: Aaron Willis

Panelists: Laura Nichols, Erin Kimura-Walsh, Héctor Efrén Martínez, Jessica Cuellar

Historically Catholic education in the U.S. was promoted as a means for social mobility for new immigrants, however most of this benefit has gone to white, European American first and second generation immigrants. Now, highly ranked Catholic universities mainly reproduce the income and wealth advantage of their students. Expanding access to higher education is a critical effort to build more inclusive and diverse colleges and universities.  But how do we support students denied access to, or marginalized on, campuses like SCU’s?  Rooted in the Jesuit, Catholic mission of Santa Clara, this panel will discuss how we can build a campus community that not only removes barriers to entry, but also creates a campus community where first-gen, transfer, and students of diverse identities can find belonging and flourish.  How can  we restructure our campus to serve the needs of a broader array of students and provide the same opportunities for success for all students?

Target Audience: SCU Faculty & Staff

Resources to Navigate the FLI Journey at SCU

SCDI 3301

Presenters: Jessica Johns, Jessica Kas-Osaka, Colleen Maeder, Stefani Blanco

How can SCU help you navigate SCU and overcome financial challenges? Offices throughout campus share how they can support limited-income students through financial assistance, help with accessing campus and community resources and advocating to ensure your needs are met and your successes are celebrated.

Target Audience: SCU Students

Achieving your College Dreams: Tips & Tricks to the Next Level

SCDI 1302 & 1308

Presenter: Lorenzo Gamboa and student panelists

These mini-sessions will: 

1. Introduce FLI high school students to the college application process, providing tips and tricks especially for them
2. Give them insight into the college experience from current FLI college students
3. Provide them a heads up on what resources to look out for when they begin college

Target Audience: Community College & High School Students

Location: SCDI Courtyard

Come together as a community to celebrate the FLI journey and network with FLI college and high school students, and the community and campus resources that support them.