Staff member guides students on path to higher education

As a first-generation college student herself, Osiris Ortiz, knows firsthand, the impact a strong support system has on a student’s college journey. As interim assistant director for GEAR UP at the University of California, Santa Cruz, she has spent years talking to students about the benefits of a postsecondary education. She shares, “Our programs bridge the cultural capital and resources needed to navigate postsecondary systems.”