December 18, 2020 | Grace Merritt, UConn Foundation

Scholarship ‘Releases Stress’ on First-Generation UConn Student

Cristal Arguello says her scholarship enables her to pursue important research without worrying about how to make ends meet.

The UConn Foundation building

The UConn Foundation helps students like Cristal Arguello, of New Haven, pursue their studies. (UConn photo/Sean Flynn)

Cristal Arguello, a junior majoring in Urban and Community Studies, spent her first two years at UConn working one and even two jobs to make ends meet.

Cristal Arguello, a junior majoring in Urban and Community Studies, plans to advocate for undocumented women and children held at the border.
Cristal Arguello, a junior majoring in Urban and Community Studies, plans to advocate for undocumented women and children held at the border. (Courtesy of Cristal Arguello)

“Being a first-generation student, you’re doing everything by yourself because my parents had no idea how to apply for colleges or how that worked, especially financially,” she says. “I had to take out a whole bunch of loans under my name because my parents just couldn’t.”

Arguello, who grew up in New Haven, says her scholarship was a huge relief and given her time to devote to her studies.

“It takes away a lot of the financial burden I came into college with. It just takes it away,” she says. “It releases a lot of stress.”

Her scholarship from the BOLD Women’s Leadership Network also gives her a chance to conduct a transformative research project over the summer. She plans to focus on addressing the inhumane treatment of undocumented women and children held at the US border.

“My dream job would be to work at a non-profit that advocates for the rights of undocumented youth and adults within the United States,” she says. “Human rights issues have always been important to me growing up and if I could help a specific group of people who need representation here or anywhere else in the world, I would do so in a heartbeat.”