"Giving Back That Piece of Hope." Donor’s Bequest to Support First-Generation Students at UC Merced

by Francesca Dinglasan

The connection between a retired Oakland educator and a university she had never visited began with a single line in a newspaper: most of its students would be the first in their families to attend college. Her casual perusal of that article in the San Francisco Chronicle would ultimately lead to her creating a generous bequest in support of those very students.

"I read about UC Merced," the university benefactor, who wishes to remain anonymous, recalled. "In that article, it said that most of the students there were first-generation students, and that really hit me."

The profile story in her local paper covering the dynamic growth of the University of California campus, located about two hours away from her hometown, was her first real peek into the Central Valley institution. What stood out to her most was UC Merced's commitment and efforts to expand access for students who come from historically underserved communities and who are often the first in their families to attend college.

For her, that mission resonated deeply.

"Both my parents came from China," she said. "I'm the first generation born in the United States."

The lessons of immigration and perseverance, as well as education as a pathway forward, have shaped both her outlook on life and her philanthropy. After retiring, she worked in the Oakland public school system, supporting students from kindergarten through third grade. Many of the children she worked with were from immigrant families, often Hispanic, whose parents worked long hours simply to make ends meet.

"I could see that their parents were working really hard just trying to make it in the United States," she said. "They wanted the best for their kids, who were just wonderful. They were curious and eager to learn. I related to their family situations."

One student, in particular, stayed on her mind.

"He was wonderful, but he was really tired one day," she recalled. "I asked him why, and he said, 'Oh, my parents were at Walmart until 11 pm last night selling tamales.' People don't always think about how hard immigrants have to work."

She knew that the student's exhaustion was more than a physical inconvenience, but a barrier to his learning.

"He was super tired, and it was hard for him to concentrate," she said. "People don't realize the obstacles students and their parents have to go through just to make it in the United States."

Her understanding of those obstacles began at home. She traces it back to her father and grandfather, who faced stark limitations when they arrived in this country decades earlier.

"My grandfather settled in Ohio, near Cleveland," she said. "At that time, the only jobs Chinese people could get were working in hand laundries or opening Chinese restaurants."

Her father, the oldest child, worked long hours at the family laundry, often until three in the morning. "He was too tired to go to school and eventually had to drop out," she said. "He wanted to go to college, but he had no money. The only way he could do it was to join the military."

Through military service and government support, her father eventually earned a college education, which proved to be an important milestone that shaped how he raised his own children. "He really valued education," she said. "And for the most part, he paid for our schooling. I realize how lucky I was."

That awareness never left her. While tutoring and volunteering in Oakland schools, she found herself quietly hoping for her students' futures.

"I would always think, 'I hope you can go to college and do well, if that's what you want,'" she said. "But I knew how hard it was."

She remained long enough with these students to see their transformations firsthand.

"I worked with kids who couldn't read any English at first," she said. "Then the next year, they're reading. Later, they're doing so well that they're placed in academic groups. I even saw some of them graduate from elementary school, and I was so proud. I'd think, 'I remember when you couldn't read a single word.'"

As a result of witnessing these important milestones in the lives of so many young students, she naturally felt deeply drawn to UC Merced's mission to provide access to first-generation college students, whose stories of resilience and determination echoed the children she taught as well as her own family's experiences. The decision to make a gift to support UC Merced scholars felt right.

"That's how UC Merced got on my radar," she said.

Her gift, she hopes, will ease the burdens that so many students quietly carry as well as open doors that hard work alone cannot always unlock.

"I want to give back that piece of hope," she said. "To help them as much as possible."