Dear Peninsula Bridge Supporters,

If you ask Peninsula Bridge scholar Guadalupe Diaz Garcia—“Lupita” to those who know her best—what drives her, she’ll tell you it’s community. And not just in theory, but in action: showing up, lifting others, and building pathways where they didn’t exist before.

Spend even a few minutes with Lupita and one thing becomes immediately clear: she has an undeniable presence. Warm, magnetic, deeply thoughtful, and quick to laugh, Lupita carries herself with confidence, keen intelligence, awareness, and ease. And underneath that ease is a story of grit, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to giving back.

Scholarship, Science, and Service

Lupita is a senior at UCLA, just weeks away from graduating with a B.S. in Human Biology and Society, a rigorous, interdisciplinary field that bridges science, healthcare, and social impact. On campus, she has fully embraced the academic challenge, opportunities for real world experience, and the call to serve.

While at UCLA, she has conducted developmental biology research in UCLA’s Tornini Lab using zebrafish and has held competitive internships with Eikon Therapeutics and Arcus Biosciences, where she studied cancer biology and immune cell behavior, presenting her findings to scientific and cross-functional audiences alike. At the same time, she is deeply engaged in community-centered work, serving as Executive Internal Coordinator for Latinx/Chicanxs for Community Medicine, helping lead a 35-member board and organizing a pre-health conference for more than 100 aspiring healthcare students, and working as a caseworker with UCLA’s Mobile Clinic Project to connect underserved individuals to critical health and social services.

Her work is impressive. Her purpose behind it is even more powerful: “My motivation toward medicine is connected to access, contribution, and community—all together,” she says.

An Early Calling

Lupita’s path to medicine began long before college.

Raised in Mountain View in a single-parent immigrant household, she grew up as her family’s translator, especially in medical settings. At a young age, she helped her mother navigate doctor’s appointments, interpret prescriptions, and understand aftercare instructions. Soon, neighbors and extended family began relying on her, too.

“My mom would send me off to help translate for family and friends,” she recalls. “I was reading medical documents, explaining instructions . . .  I was young, but I understood the need I was meeting.” What could have been a heavy responsibility became something more: a calling. “I fell in love with the idea of being a physician, of helping people access care they deserve.”

Over time, she explored other paths. She worked as an executive assistant at a venture capital firm, interned at Apple, supported clients at an immigration legal aid clinic, and taught virtual ESL classes. But she always returned to healthcare.

Her most meaningful experience? Leading health fairs in California border towns through UCLA’s Latino Student Health Project, providing direct service to communities with limited access to care. “That’s where everything came together for me,” she says. “Access, contribution, and community all in one place.”

Today, Lupita is looking ahead to medical school and considering a future in geriatrics or OB/GYN, fields where she can build trust, provide continuity of care, and serve communities often overlooked.

Family Values and the Power of Belief

At the heart of Lupita’s journey is her family, especially her mother.

“My mom’s American dream was for her kids to get a college education,” Lupita says. “She has just always had this massive belief in our potential.” That belief came with sacrifice and values that continue to shape Lupita today: education, resilience, generosity, and a deep commitment to community. She speaks often about “finding community in the people you surround yourself with” and staying grounded in where you come from.

That foundation continues to guide her even on the hardest days. “I can be having a tough time,” she says, “but then I look around at where I am on this beautiful campus and think, ‘Life is a little hard right now, but this is my view.’”

Lupita’s trademark optimism and her belief system has been key to her success.  “It was a tough transition to UCLA both academically and socially,” she says candidly. “I didn’t expect the level of rigor.” Like many first-generation college students, Lupita had to quickly adapt to a new environment while navigating demanding coursework. Her response? She leaned in. She found peer learning groups, sought out campus resources, and built a community of support.

That mindset—resourceful, proactive, and deeply self-aware—has become one of her greatest strengths.

Opening Doors and Walking Through Them

Lupita’s journey has been shaped not only by her determination, but by the support systems around her, especially Peninsula Bridge. “Peninsula Bridge opens doors,” Lupita reflects. “And gives me the confidence to walk through them.”

Since joining the program in 5th grade, Lupita has benefited from consistent, individualized guidance at every stage of her academic journey. Through dedicated high school and college success advisors, she received support on everything from course selection to evaluating internship and career opportunities, ensuring she was not only prepared, but positioned to succeed. She credits her Peninsula Bridge advisor, Amy, with helping her secure her first research internship at Eikon Therapeutics, an experience that fundamentally changed how she saw herself. “That was the moment I could really see myself in those spaces,” Lupita says. “In research in medicine.”

Even earlier, in Peninsula Bridge’s middle school program, a teacher helped shape her confidence in academic spaces. “He told me, ‘Your presence matters. Your voice matters.’ And I’ve carried that with me ever since.”

Peninsula Bridge also supported her family along the way by providing parent education and engagement that helped her mother understand the demands of high school and college, and how to support Lupita’s evolving goals. “It made it a shared journey,” Lupita says. “My family understood what I was working toward and why.”

What’s Next & Words of Wisdom

After graduation this June, Lupita plans to return to the Bay Area to work as a medical assistant or in clinical research while preparing to apply to medical school.

And in her rare moments of downtime? You’ll find her exploring coffee shops across Los Angeles, weightlifting, or curating the perfect playlist (R&B, reggaeton, and Mexican music are always in rotation).

Ever mindful of how far she’s come and her keen desire to bring others along, her advice to younger Peninsula Bridge scholars is simple and full of the same warmth she brings to everything she does: “You got this! Use all the wonderful resources Peninsula Bridge has to offer and use them to your fullest capacity.”

Lupita’s journey is still unfolding, but one thing is already clear: she’s not just building a future for herself, she’s helping shape a more equitable one for others. With your support, first-generation scholars like Lupita are achieving at the highest levels, breaking barriers, and stepping boldly into futures that once felt out of reach.

Thank you for being an essential part of her journey and her success.

Warmly,

Randi Shafton 
CEO