Please briefly introduce yourself
Hello, my name is Roy! I was a CC2UC student like you and I entered the program when I was a sophomore in high school. I believe I was around 14 at the time. I attended Miracosta for 1 year and transferred to UCLA. I graduated 2 years later around the age of 18.


When were you a student at ESL Lab / CC2UC / CAL Edu?
CC2UC/Cal Edu


Which colleges were you accepted to?
UCLA, Berkeley


Which college did you choose to attend?
UCLA


What was your major?
Political Science


What do you do now?
Legal Assistant


How did you first learn about ESL Lab / CC2UC / CAL Edu?
Family friend


What do you remember most about your student life at ESL Lab / CC2UC / CAL Edu??
There are definitely good and bad memories! I don’t miss waking up early in the morning, sometimes at 4 a.m., just to finish studying before an exam. Or having to wake up every morning to someone else’s alarm. But overall, my experience and memories of the program are amazing and dear to me. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the CC2UC community. Field trips, eating random meals with everyone late at night, and Starbucks runs were always exciting.


What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned while you were a student at ESL Lab / CC2UC / CAL Edu?
Dedicating yourself to something can truly lead to amazing results


What have you gained (skills, habits, advice… etc) from ESL Lab / CC2UC / CAL Edu?
CC2UC helped change my mindset. You can do anything if you really want it. It might take time but you’ll get there eventually. I also partially grew up while I was in the program so I learned basic life skills like doing dishes, and laundry, living by myself, and being responsible for my own day.


What have you lost (bad habits, old beliefs, limiting beliefs) while you were a student at ESL Lab / CC2UC / CAL Edu?
I think I was humbled by the program even at such a young age and it has stuck with me to this day. I was almost stripped of my pride (in a good way) and I realized there was so much to grow, so much to learn, and that learning never stops.


Who / Where / What were you just before you began your journey with ESL Lab / CC2UC / CAL Edu?
I was a high school sophomore who loved basketball and debate.


What was your motivation behind your decision to join ESL Lab / CC2UC / CAL Edu?
Funny enough, I thought CC2UC would be a way to escape math classes. I was always a strong humanities student but struggled in math classes. I knew that going the CC2UC route would almost eliminate all math requirements so I was immediately convinced.


If you could go back and give yourself one piece of advice before starting your journey at ESL Lab / CC2UC / CAL Edu, what would it be?
Take advantage of being in a community of Korean-speaking students. Learn as much as you can from others, everyone has knowledge and experience in certain subjects.


What advice do you have for students who are thinking about studying at ESL Lab / CC2UC / CAL Edu?
Really think about if you want to commit to this. It will probably be the most difficult thing you’ve done in your life as of yet, but like I said earlier, if you want it enough, you can accomplish anything.


How has your experience at ESL Lab / CC2UC / CAL Edu helped you in your current career?
Being able to articulate arguments is a skill that I worked on during my time at CC2UC and it helped me in undergrad and to this day when working on cases.


Would you recommend ESL Lab / CC2UC / CAL Edu to others? Why or why not?
I recommend the program to students who believe they know what they want to do in the future. Having a specific goal is great to lean on when the going gets tough.


What are the most important skills that you use in your current job?
Professionalism, is being able to work for prolonged periods of time


What do you think would have happened, or where would you be now, if you had not made the decision to join ESL Lab / CC2UC / CAL Edu?
I think I would have gone to a smaller college, which wouldn’t at all be a bad thing. I would have gone the traditional college route. I could be at a similar place I am in life now, but CC2UC definitely expedited my growing up process.


Can you recall any specific moment or event that happened while you were at ESL Lab / CC2UC / CAL Edu you cannot forget?
I have specific memories of many of the friends I made in the program. Silly memories like when one of my roommates came back from a grocery trip and only bought cheese to eat. Or exciting ones like watching the Superbowl with a group of Koreans who never watched a game of American football. Scary ones like completely missing one of my finals (I was able to take it the next day thankfully)!!