Born in Mexico and raised in Ontario, Oregon, Allie Arizmendi-Sanchez came to Boise State to study civil engineering as the first person in her family to attend college. As part of the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP), a program that assists students who are children of migrant or seasonal farm workers complete their first year of college, Arizmendi-Sanchez found a community of support and financial assistance that have helped her to thrive at Boise State.
After hearing about the TRIO STEM Scholars program from an advisor, she has gained personalized support and academic advising for her chosen field of study. TRIO STEM Scholars supports students from limited-income backgrounds in science, technology, engineering and math degree programs and prepares them for careers and graduate study in their field, something Arizmendi-Sanchez is considering now as she progresses in her degree program as a sophomore.
Like many other first-generation students, Arizmendi-Sanchez is involved on campus and is eager to test her knowledge and skills through extracurricular activities. She is the treasurer of the Civil Engineering Club’s concrete canoe team, where she and her fellow engineering students will test their canoe design against other teams in an upcoming competition in Las Vegas. “We have to submerge the canoe and then it has to come up on it’s own,” said Arizmendi-Sanchez. “If it comes back up we race it against other people.” In addition to her work in the Civil Engineering club and a 16-credit course load in her engineering program, Arizmendi-Sanchez also plays clarinet in the Blue Thunder Marching Band.
In recognition of the annual First-Generation College Celebration on November 8, the College of Education is profiling outstanding first generation students. The Center for Multicultural Educational Opportunities, housed in the College of Education, includes a variety of programs that support first-generation college students, including CAMP and TRIO STEM Scholars.