Shivam Khosla of Yuba City recently graduated from Yuba College and was named a recipient of the prestigious Regent’s Scholarship, an award for under-graduate students at the University of California (UC) Davis. He plans to continue his education in mechanical engineering at Davis and was also invited to join their University Honors program.
Khosla, a first-generation college student, immigrated to the Yuba-Sutter area from India during his sophomore year in high school. When he first arrived in the United States, he did not speak English, but within three years, he became fluent. After learning the language, he began to excel in his educational studies, and while still in high school, Khosla was able to dual enroll in Yuba College courses.
“My motivation is my family,” Khosla said. “My parents left their country and family for my siblings and me to have a better life. We would not have had the same career and education opportunities in India. They took a big risk in leaving everything they knew behind, and I want to prove myself. I want them to know they made the best decision ever.” Khosla graduated from Yuba College as a participant in both the Extended Opportunity Pro-grams & Services (EOPS) and Math, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) programs in the spring of 2021.
During his time at the College, he earned an Associate of Science for Transfer (AS-T) in Mathematics as well as an Associate of Science (AS) in General Education: Natural Sciences.
“I chose Yuba College because it was the best option for me to save money and get experience with American higher education and culture,” Khosla said. “EOPS and my counselors helped me a lot. Being a first-year college student who had only been speaking English for three years was a tough experience. They were like my caretakers. If I had any questions, I could go to my specialist. They gave me confidence and made me feel like they were on my team.”
Khosla says he will miss EOPS, MESA, and the connections he made on campus. But, while he will miss his Yuba College community, he looks forward to the university experience at UC Davis. He refers to himself as a science nerd and looks forward to starting his university research soon.