Victor Andrade, a member of the Chemehuevi tribe who grew up in Moreno Valley, had always envisioned going to a four-year university from high school, and nearby UC Riverside was his dream. Connie, his single-parent mom, encouraged him along that path. She had attended college but didn’t finish, and she wanted to see her son go further.
But when Connie got injured in a hit-and-run accident on the way home from work, life took a different turn. Just as he was about to graduate from high school, Andrade found himself the caregiver and breadwinner for his mom and younger brother. Instead of heading to UC, he began taking part-time evening classes at Riverside City College (RCC), working graveyard-shift jobs and taking care of family chores during the day. But he kept his eyes on the prize, planning out his transfer strategy to UC Riverside through the TAG (Transfer Admission Guarantee) program in Sociology. Five years after graduating from high school, he finally got there.
Andrade quickly found a second home in the Native American Students Program (NASP) on campus. NASP offered a place to study and socialize, use a computer, get supplies, grab a free snack or even take a nap (all things especially useful to Andrade as a commuter student). He participated in NASP community events that showcase the Native American presence on campus, like UC Riverside’s popular annual powwow. NASP also led to opportunities like his current teaching job at the Sherman Indian School in Riverside.
Friends from NASP recommended electives that have helped Andrade connect with his Native California heritage even more, like a Cahuilla language course and Intro to Native American Studies. “Usually when you learn about Native American culture, you are hearing the perspectives of outside observers. The classes I’ve taken at UC Riverside are taught by Native American faculty, and it’s very different. It’s been so beneficial.”
In fact, Native American resources on campus are part of why Andrade intentionally chose UC Riverside. “It’s been comforting to know that this place is a kind of meeting point for many different tribes — and it has been for centuries, long before there was a campus. Native American students and faculty come here specifically to learn and teach about our cultures.”
Throughout most of his UC career, Andrade continued to work full time to support his family. It took absolute grit and determination, along with a powerful dose of inspiration. For that, he only had to look as far as his mom, a social worker who specializes in unhoused populations. And with Andrade’s guidance, his younger brother, Johnny, transferred from Moreno Valley College to Cal State San Bernardino, where he is also on track to earn a bachelor’s degree.
What’s next? Andrade is applying for jobs as a social practitioner in Riverside County, with the ultimate goal of getting a master’s degree and becoming a social worker. He also plans to get more involved in local government in Moreno Valley, where he is already an advocate for the residents of his district: low-income renters and immigrants without a strong political voice.
