Pomona’s generous financial support made it possible for me to pursue my education without financial burden.”

“In that moment, I knew that regardless of any obstacles, I would be seen as someone with limitless possibilities,” Aban says. “My greatest act of freedom was applying to Pomona College.

“I am passionate about advancing community and microenterprise development in ethnic enclaves,” Rachel Nguyen ’26 says.

“I’m grateful these pipeline programs exist because I come from a low-income, first-generation household,” says Erivez Robles ’28. “Coming to this school might not have been possible without programs like this.”

“At one time society threw me away,” he says. “They told me I’ll never be good enough to be a scholar. What I came back from, I’ve accomplished the impossible.”

Okolo ’18, a former computer science major by way of Kansas City, Missouri, holds dear her time at Pomona College, crediting her liberal arts education and professors for igniting in her a desire to understand human-computer interaction.

New environments have always fascinated Lydia Haile ’22, a native Coloradan and first-generation college student whose curiosity led her to Pomona College and now is taking her across the globe.

Like many teenagers in Salinas, Calif., Drea Alonzo ’26 thought the only option a first-generation, low-income high school graduate had to pursue higher education was the local community college.

Yet, as a first generation, low-income (FLI) student of color by way of Baldwin Park, California, Nguyen ’26 battled imposter syndrome when they started at the College.

Environmental issues like these hit especially close to home for Eric ’25. Her mother is from Bridgetown, Barbados, and her father is from Lagos, Nigeria. Her parents came to the United States for new opportunities, leaving behind regions of the world facing significant socio economic difficulties.

Gutiérrez Topete ’17 migrated with his family to the U.S. from Mexico at the age of 12, and after moving from place to place, eventually settled in an agricultural town in Northern California. When it came time to apply to colleges, he knew that financial support would be a challenge, so he opted to attend community college.

Since arriving at Pomona from Chicago as a Questbridge Scholar, Serrano ’25 has developed a passion for neuroscience research.

Born in Egypt, Botros ’17 came to the U.S. with their family as a child, settling in Southern California. An interest in history formed at a young age—their mother taught the subject in Egypt, and when she enrolled in community college in the U.S. to recredential, Botros helped her with research essays about figures like Frederick Douglass. “History became a really important way for me and my family to understand a society that was new to us,” Botros said.

Growing up in Norman, Oklahoma, Elisa Velasco ’23 didn’t see her Mexican American identity reflected in textbooks or celebrated in classrooms.

Get to know three of the current QuestBridge students who attend Pomona.

Aviles ’26 arrived at Pomona as a Questbridge Scholar. Eager to stay in California while relocating to a more metropolitan area for internship and entertainment opportunities, she ranked Pomona as one of her top schools.