National Student Transfer Week serves as a significant occasion to honor the unique journeys of transfer students every third week of October, organized by the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students.

CHASS Transfers F1RST, a student-led program in CHASS F1RST that assists transfer students in navigating their newfound journey at UCR, is gearing up alongside campus partners to launch the week with a special event on Oct. 16 to commemorate transfer students at UCR.

Taking place in room 302N at the Highlander Union Building (HUB) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Kickoff event will feature food, a photo booth, swag, and networking opportunities with fellow transfer students, faculty, staff, and UCR’s mascot, Scotty. With various campus partners present, transfer students can also gain insight into programs and services at UCR.

“The purpose is to celebrate UCR transfer students and create community, a sense of belonging while encouraging involvement and persistence for transfers to ‘full steam ahead’ into their educational journey,” said Stella Rocha, a Student Academic Specialist in CHASS F1RST First-Year Experience Programs. 

Now a staff member, Rocha can speak to the transfer student experience as an alumna of UCR. Having transferred from Riverside City College (RCC) to UCR in 2020, Rocha graduated in 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology. 

“When I was a student at UCR, I benefited from programs like CHASS Transfers F1RST, Chicano Student Programs, the Library, and the Academic Resource Center,” Rocha said. “While it was not always easy for me, involvement and participation prepared me to be successful, both academically and professionally.”

As an Academic Student Specialist in CHASS F1RST, Rocha oversees the transfer student component of the program with the Transfer Learning Community and the Transfer Year Experience, designed to prepare students for academic success and offer tools and resources to transfer students. 

Driven by her own experiences as a transfer student, Rocha aims to “pay it forward to the next generation of scholars” and acknowledges that her journey was made possible by the guidance and support of mentors, professors, and colleagues. Now, as a staff member in CHASS F1RST, she is dedicated to supporting and empowering fellow transfer students on their paths to success.

“I remember who I needed as I navigated life and academia, so everything I do is deeply rooted in Community,” she said.

Like Rocha, many transfer students learn more about resources on campus and take the time to seek help from others on their journeys within CHASS.

“All of the people I have met and friends made in different courses have made my experience more worthwhile,” said Mariah Miller, a fourth-year undergraduate transfer student majoring in psychology who also serves as a Transfer Ambassador in CHASS Transfers F1RST. 

“My first quarter was a quarter of learning more about myself, learning the campus, and all of the resources it had to offer, and seeking out to meet new people,” she said. In utilizing resources and taking advantage of what the Transfer Learning Community had to offer, Miller found her way with music and psychology in CHASS as a Transfer Ambassador and a member of the UCR Orchestra. 

Transfer student Savannah Messenger also serves as a Transfer Ambassador alongside Miller, majoring in creative writing with a minor in education. Messenger, whose brother also attended UCR, transferred from RCC  after becoming interested in the creative writing program.

Messenger, who is starting her third quarter at UCR, still considers her transfer journey to be in its early stages. 

“The best way to get involved and connect with the campus is to take that first step. While talking and making friends in class, I was encouraged by my professor to apply for the CHASS Transfer Ambassador position,” Messenger said. “I am hoping this will get me in touch with other transfers with a similar experience to my own and help them along the way.”

“Take time to discover yourself and who you are at your own pace,” Miller said. “We are bound to make mistakes, but you are just where you need to be and a place of learning.”

To learn more about National Student Transfer Week and the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students, please visit nists.org/national-transfer-student-week.

To learn more about CHASS Transfers F1RST, the Transfer Learning Community, and the Transfer Year Experience, please visit chassf1rst.ucr.edu/chass-transfers-f1rst.

To hear from more transfer students and learn more about their experiences, please visit instagram.com/ucrchass/ and tiktok.com/@ucrchass.