UCSD - University of California - San Diego

10/01/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/01/2026 03:32

Celebrate Latinx Heritage Month with Mi Universidad on UCTV

Published Date

October 01, 2026

Article Content

For students who would be the first person in their families to attend college, higher education can come with a lot of questions and seem out of reach.

There are practical questions like, How do you pick a college? How do you pay for college? What can you do with a college degree?

But also more emotional questions. Will you fit in at college? Can you find community? How do you know whether a university such as UC San Diego is truly a place for you?

For this reason, UCTV has produced the Mi Universidad video series to help answer these exact questions.

"The idea behind the platform is to have people become inspired by those who have already walked that path," said Frank Silva, Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff for Organizational Transformation and co-creator of Mi Universidad.

Through a growing collection of personal stories and practical resources, faculty, alumni, students, staff and parents all share how they found their way to UC San Diego, navigated college life and transformed their education into meaningful careers.

"Mi Universidad reflects the larger vision of the Division of Extended Studies: to serve as a bridge between UC San Diego and the communities around us," said Edward Abeyta, Associate Dean for Student and Community Engagement at UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies. "Through UCTV and our broader educational and community programming, we can make the university's knowledge, opportunities, and people more accessible. Just as importantly, these stories help students and families see themselves here-not only as visitors, but as valued members of the university community with a path to belonging and success."

Making college feel more possible

For students without a family model for navigating higher education, seemingly straightforward parts of the college experience can feel unfamiliar.

Applying for financial aid, finding a mentor, understanding university support services or imagining life after graduation may all involve knowledge and social capital that not all students have access to.

Mi Universidad offers answers to those questions in a way that is more personal and accessible. Its participants explain what the process actually looked and felt like for them, including the uncertainties, detours and relationships that shaped their journeys.

Mom and son record an interview with UCTV for the Mi Universidad channel

"When they see someone reflecting their experiences and explaining how they achieved all these things, it can make the journey seem more accessible," said Rachel Bradley, senior producer at UCTV. "It's a template. It shows that there's a way to do all of this."

Created as part of UC San Diego's broader work as an emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution, Mi Universidad reveals the less-visible beginnings behind its guests' accomplishments-experiences that may feel familiar to the students and families watching.

Bradley recalled one Mi Universidad guest who had worked as a landscaper across the street from a college before deciding to enroll. Other participants have spoken candidly about growing up in farmworker families, how their parents might have been dismissive of education or how difficult it was to enter a doctoral program.

"I was impressed by how much people were willing to share," said Bradley. "There were a lot of really raw things being talked about. You don't get that openness very often but it's so helpful to hear for the viewers who might have the same challenges."

Practical college guidance grounded in experience

While personal narratives are a big part of the videos, Mi Universidad also shares useful information for prospective students, current students and the people supporting them.

Videos explore subjects such as:

  • Preparing for college at different stages
  • Exploring majors, graduate education and possible careers
  • Understanding the true cost of college and available financial aid
  • Building friendships, professional networks and community
  • Finding academic, mental health and student-support services
  • Supporting a student as a parent or caregiver
  • Navigating higher education as an undocumented student

This guidance is particularly valuable because it comes from people who can reflect on what helped them succeed.They'll bring up topics, like seeking support or mental health in ways that might seem obvious or unimportant to some students but could be especially valuable to a student carrying the pressure of being the first in their family to attend university.

"A lot of students who come to university feel like they should be able to do it all on their own and not ask for help," said Silva. "But the truth is nobody does it alone. Hearing successful graduates describe the value of asking for help can take away a lot of the stigma."

Related content

Featured Program Titles

Latinx and chicanx stories across STEM, the arts and community life

Although UC San Diego is widely recognized for STEM, the Mi Universidad collection reflects the full spectrum of what students can study and become. There are highlights for the arts, humanities, entrepreneurship, music, public service, family experiences and unconventional career changes.

Siblings Jose and Grecia share how family, mentorship and community shaped their path from Mexicali to studying electrical engineering at UC San Diego.

Together, the programs demonstrate that there is no single Latinx or Chicanx college experience-and no single path connecting a degree to a meaningful life.

This idea is also reflected in a forthcoming conversation between a brother and sister from Mexicali who both studied engineering at UC San Diego and are entering doctoral programs in engineering. Although they share a family and academic field, they approached engineering differently, including one sibling whose path began with music.

Conversations such as this help make graduate-level education more understandable to viewers who may have only a basic knowledge of what a graduate or doctoral-level education means.

"It's about demystifying the college experience as much as possible in a way that is easier for students to relate to," said Silva.

Creating a living library of college and career stories

Based at UC San Diego within the Division of Extended Studies, UCTV brings university knowledge to the public at no cost.

As the public-service media platform of the University of California, it produces and distributes programs through its website, YouTube, podcast platforms and California cable channels.

What makes the channel valuable, both for Mi Universidad and other topics UCTV covers, is the videos accumulate and live on as an enduring, searchable collection.

"The reach is international, and it stays there as a permanent archive of these stories," Bradley said. "It builds upon the story of both the people and the university-and how journeys to the university are created."

The video medium also makes the stories come to life. Viewers can see a guest's expressions, hear the emotion behind their words and recognize aspects of themselves in the person speaking.

"You can see who's talking. You can see that they are like you, and sense that the feelings they're sharing are genuine when they're talking about their college experience," said Bradley.

For the Mi Universidad series, some conversations are conducted in Spanish, while English-language programs are made accessible to Spanish-speaking audiences through subtitles. A dedicated Spanish-language landing page makes the programming easier for Spanish-speaking families to find and share too.

This open-access model also extends Mi Universidad beyond UC San Diego. Counselors can share a program with a high school student exploring college. Parents can learn about financial aid or campus life. Current students can hear how alumni built community, found mentors and turned their education into a career.

A lot of students who come to university feel like they should be able to do it all on their own and not ask for help. But the truth is nobody does it alone. Hearing successful graduates describe the value of asking for help can take away a lot of the stigma. Frank Silva, Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff for Organizational Transformation, co-creator of Mi Universidad

Finding a path-and a place to belong

Latinx Heritage Month offers an opportunity to celebrate the achievements, cultures and contributions of Latinx and Chicanx communities. Mi Universidad carries that recognition forward throughout the year by preserving stories that show not only what people have accomplished, but how they got there.

For a student wondering whether college is possible, seeing someone with a familiar background can turn an abstract opportunity into a visible path. For a family confronting an unfamiliar process, practical guidance can be the difference between uncertainty and confidence. And for students already at UC San Diego, hearing how others found support can serve as a reminder that success does not have to happen alone.

"The underlying message is that UC San Diego cares about students in a holistic manner," said Silva. "We want students to know we care about them, their family, their culture and we are here to help them succeed."

Explore Mi Universidad on UCTV and discover practical guidance, personal stories and a growing community of people finding their place at UC San Diego.

Read more news about: Extended Studies

UCSD - University of California - San Diego published this content on October 01, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 01, 2026 at 09:32 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]