Alexis Naraja currently attends UC Berkeley and is a member of the class of 2025. A 2021 graduate of De Anza High School, Alexis is majoring in Cognitive Science at Cal.

Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself. Is there anything in particular that motivates you as you go through college and prepare yourself for a career?

A:  I come from a big and proud Filipino family that has always motivated me to achieve success far beyond my own goals. It is thanks to the support of my family and my wonderful best friends that I have been able to find my passion in cognitive science and pursue it at Cal!

As I navigate through college and prepare myself for a career, I’ve also learned that the best motivator is yourself! Being your biggest fan and looking out for yourself as much as you would for others has helped me out a lot with personal growth. I’ve come to thrive on challenges and view them as opportunities for growth.

Q: How has the Richmond Promise played a role in your education?

A: Richmond Promise has been a wonderful support system throughout my education! It’s helpful knowing that I’ll always have a community within Richmond, especially when it can sometimes feel lonely being at Berkeley. I always appreciate the emails/texts that I get throughout the year that send me resources and opportunities that help to guide me during my college journey.

Q: Why did you choose to be a Richmond Promise Summer Associate and what are you hoping to take from the experience?

A: I chose to be a Richmond Promise Summer Associate because I admire their mission in creating equitable and accessible education to the youth of Richmond. I love the opportunity to be able to give back to my community by being able to empower students and make a difference in the Richmond community. Being a Richmond Promise Summer Associate allows me to work closely with students as they navigate their beginning journeys and give back in the same way as the mentors who have helped me. I hope that I can leave a helpful and positive impact on the students and community!

Q: What do you want to contribute to Richmond and/or the world?

A: I would love to be able to make a positive impact on both Richmond and the world. In Richmond, I want to contribute a progressive attitude towards seeking higher education opportunities and making education more equitable. I believe in the power of education and access to opportunities, and I would like to contribute by supporting programs like the Richmond Promise that are able to provide mentorship initiatives that empower young individuals in Richmond to reach their full potential.

Q: Can you tell us about your current college experience?

A: My current college experience has been incredibly enriching and transformative. Although it can be quite tough sometimes, I’m glad to be able to have gone through all the challenges I’ve been through as they helped me to grow a lot academically and personally. I absolutely love my major of cognitive science and how it answers the mysteries of the mind through involvement with other subjects like computer science, linguistics, philosophy, psychology, and more. It is definitely an eye-opening and informative major that I would encourage anyone to take a look at!

Q: What are you looking forward to after receiving your bachelor’s/transferring?

A:  I’ll be looking forward to finally being done with school!  I hope to be able to travel a lot more and get more real world experience, but I’ll definitely be taking a much needed break from school.