Anthony Bucio had a goal in mind — to be the first in his family to attend college. Today, he reflects on his journey while he eagerly awaits his first semester at UC Riverside.
Being first-generation, Bucio lacked guidance and struggled with college applications. The 18-year-old knew he wanted to attend college but did not know where to begin and had little faith in his abilities.
“I honestly didn’t see myself getting into a UC (University of California),” he said.
However, the Victorville resident cites Dream Generation as a source of inspiration. “I was inspired by seeing Hector and Leslie succeeding in their academic and professional careers despite being first-generation,” he said.
Bucio was accepted to his top-choice school, UC Riverside and will be studying business economics. He hopes to work as an accountant in the future.
Having been previously inspired by first-generation students to attend college, he is now a source of inspiration himself. “It makes me feel happy that I’m inspiring my younger cousin Alexa. She told me I inspire her to keep pushing through high school,” he said.
Bucio has already begun preparing to move-out to Riverside this fall. He is excited to explore campus and become involved with student clubs and organizations.
Upon reflecting on his journey to college, Bucio explains that he has learned a lot. “The most important thing I learned is to be positive. What you think is unattainable is actually attainable,” he said. “You just have to believe in yourself.”
We are very proud of Anthony and look forward to seeing him prosper at UC Riverside.
Not only are we certain that he will succeed in college, but we also believe that he will continue to inspire others to also one day be first-generation college students.