DVC graduate Karla Morales De Leon eagerly stepped into her college journey as a first-generation student at DVC in the spring of 2021 propelled by a fascination with physics.
From an early age, Karla says she was a curious child, frequently questioning how things worked and why. Her parents encouraged that curiosity and by the time she was in high school, she already knew she liked physics and wanted to pursue it deeper.
“I took AP Physics and knew from that class, and all the experiments, that this is what I wanted to explore. So, when I was able to enroll in college, I knew physics was what I wanted to major in.”
However, Karla's journey to college following high school was not immediate. She opted for a different path after graduating, temporarily delaying her pursuit of a college degree.
"I was unable to attend college due to financial and personal reasons at the time of my high school graduation and decided to pursue a career in real estate instead. I've worked in real estate ever since and continued working through my time at DVC with the help of my real estate team and my dad, who is also a realtor.”
When she was able to start college, after a five-year gap, she wondered what it would be like to be a student again. And starting college during the pandemic made things additionally challenging. Karla reflects on that time and her gratitude for DVC support services.
“I had to re-learn how to learn again. I had to acclimate to school and homework again, and wondering, am I going to be as sharp as I was when I first graduated from high school? I was aware I might have to adapt to new learning environments, but thankfully I found the support that I needed at DVC.”
Karla credits the Math and Engineering Student Center and MESA (Math, Engineering, Science Achievement) community as helpful resources that allowed her to thrive both academically and personally.
“The Math and Engineering Student Center (formerly known as the Math Lab) was a great resource for me because they have tutors plus professors there when they have their office hours, so you get access to them easily. The other resource I valued was MESA. I love MESA! They took me to a Women’s Engineering Conference, they provided tutoring resources, and I took advantage of MESA many times for programming support, like learning Python.”
Additionally, she discovered a supportive community at DVC's Science and Health Student Center, where she received valuable advice from both peers and her physics professors. "I formed study groups here, and some of those classmates who became my friends are still among my closest friends today."
Karla also recommends many of her professors who have helped her during her journey at DVC and beyond. Julie Walters was her calculus professor at DVC who told her about the Math and Engineering Student Center and made calculus seem “easy”.
And professor Jean Chiar, from DVC’s astronomy program, helped Karla apply to the Cal-bridge Summer Research Program at Stanford University as well as became her mentor.
“I was able to go to Stanford University where I worked in data analysis for the LSST camera (Legacy Survey of Space and Time) which is the camera being used to map out the southern hemisphere, and the visible night sky over a period of 10 years. Dr. Chiar was incredibly supportive during this time, especially when I had questions about my research.”
Karla also credits her Extended Opportunity Programs and Services EOPS counselor for the clear guidance and help she needed when it came time to transfer. “I was so supported in my transfer to UC Berkley by EOPS. My counselor helped me with the application and essays required."
Currently Karla enjoys studying experimental physics and is pursuing a double major in Astrophysics at UC Berkeley. She has her sights set on learning more about space technologies and astronautics while securing a research position to assist in quantum sensing technology. “I’m helping to develop the hardware for it, which is exciting.”
What’s Karla’s advice for other students considering DVC? “There are so many resources at DVC to support you; It’s easy to show up to the different campus resources and start asking questions. Everyone is willing to help you because they want you to succeed. If they can’t answer your question, they are able to reroute you to the right person or resource.”
When asked what she values most about her time at DVC, Karla shared her love of the campus diversity and sense of belonging, no matter who you are and what stage of life you’re in.
“In community college you see people fighting for their education because maybe they had to struggle to be there or had a gap and are coming back to school later, and so you see them genuinely wanting to be there and putting in the effort. You see people from all walks of life, I love the diversity!”
Don’t just take Karla’s word for it. Learn more about what DVC can do for you!
Get started today at www.dvc.edu/apply.
