Araceli Robles
Transfer Student
UCLA
Transferred from Sacramento City College
Steve Salinas
Transfer Student
UCI
Transferred from Irvine Valley College
Rachel Butterfield
Transfer Student
UC Berkeley
Transferred from Santa Rosa Junior College
Alina Santamaria
Transfer Student
UC Berkeley
Transferred from Santa Rosa Junior College
Saturday, April 25, 2026
10am-11:30am PST
Workshop Description:
Transferring from community college to a University of California campuses as a premed student can feel exciting, overwhelming, and high-stakes all at once. This workshop is designed for community college and university premed students who want a clearer, smarter roadmap for making that transition successfully while staying focused on the long path to medicine. We will discuss how to prepare academically, choose courses strategically, build strong study habits, seek mentorship, and make the most of clinical, service, and leadership opportunities before and after transfer. This session will also address the real challenges many transfer students face, including confidence, adjustment, time management, and learning how to compete without losing your purpose. You can come, ask your questions, and get answers in a supportive, student-centered environment focused on practical strategies and encouragement. Most importantly, come hear directly from the source instead of second-hand or bad information or people who have no clue about the admission process. Whether you are just starting at community college or preparing to transfer soon, you will leave with stronger direction, renewed confidence, and concrete next steps for your premed journey.
About the Speakers:
Araceli Robles is a first-year transfer student at UCLA majoring in Psychology. Prior to transferring, she attended Sacramento City College and several campuses within the Los Rios Community College District. As the daughter of Mexican immigrants from Sacramento, CA, Araceli is deeply committed to advancing community-focused medicine.
During her time in community college, Araceli worked as a STEM tutor and served as a part-time staff member for the MESA program. Her dedication to research led her to prestigious internships with Health Career Connections, Stanford Medicine, and the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. Through these experiences, she developed a passion for cardiovascular health and research focused on underrepresented communities, ultimately presenting her work at national conferences.
Araceli aspires to become a cardiologist and professor of medicine, with the goal of bridging
psychological well-being and heart health. A firm believer in the power of mentorship, she credits programs like AvenueM and MESA for shaping her journey and is committed to paying it forward by mentoring first-generation and community college students. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and spending quality time with her dogs Milo and Theo.
Steve Salinas is a first-generation Mexican-Peruvian transfer student at UC Irvine studying Neurobiology on the pre-med track. He began his academic journey at community college, where he developed a strong foundation in academics, leadership, and service while pursuing research in organic chemistry and stem cell biology. After transferring to UC Irvine, he expanded his interests into clinical neurocritical care research at UCI Health. Steve is also a 2026 Goldwater Scholar, a nationally prestigious honor awarded to undergraduate students with exceptional promise in the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics. His experiences across research, healthcare, and student advocacy have shaped his goal of becoming a physician-leader and inspired his commitment to supporting other community college students navigating the transfer pathway. Outside of academics, he enjoys traveling and running, both of which have broadened his perspective on service, culture, and health.
Rachel Butterfield is a transfer student from Santa Rosa Junior College currently studying
Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley, where she plans to graduate in Spring 2027.
She has been actively involved in research throughout college, including an internship at the
National Institutes of Health and a year at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, where she studied cellular aging and DNA damage. She is currently continuing her research at UC
Berkeley, focusing on aging and genetic changes in neurons.
Beyond research, Rachel has held leadership roles as President of the Biology Club at SRJC and has worked as a STEM tutor. She continues to give back through volunteering with SNAPkids, a program supporting children with special needs, and is a member of Kappa Alpha Theta.
She hopes to pursue a career as a physician-scientist, with interests in immunology, aging, and disease. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with friends.
Alina Santamaria is a senior at UC Berkeley studying Molecular and Cell Biology, originally from Rohnert Park. She began her higher education journey at community college, where she earned associate degrees in Natural Sciences and Biology. During this time she did two internships, one at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and one at UC Davis’s Bodega Marine Lab. She also was a volunteer for a couple organizations in her community.
After transferring to Berkeley, she deepened her passion for healthcare and community impact. She volunteered as a Well-being Ambassador with University Health Services her first year there, where she supported students in navigating care and resources. Then through shadowing at UCSF Radiation Oncology, she gained exposure to patient care and treatment planning. This led her down a path to be interested in community impact, and she currently serves as the Academic Chair for the non-profit Hermanas Unidas. She also participated in a week long mutual aid trip to the Central Valley to learn more about the challenges farmworking communities face. As of right now, she is currently awaiting decisions from post-baccalaureate programs.
Register for Free:
What: From Community College to UC: The Premed Transfer Blueprint
When: Saturday, April 25, 2026, 10 AM (Pacific Standard Time)
You will receive an immediate email confirmation of your registration from Zoom. PLEASE check your SPAM or JUNK folder, as the email might be directed there. Additionally, you will receive an email reminder from Zoom ONE hour before the event, sent to the same email address you used for registration.
