Ana Roberts

After touring various UC campuses with her brother, Ana Roberts decided that UCSD was where she wanted to attend college, feeling a strong connection with the community. Ana initially enrolled in Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) with an interest in marine biology after being moved by documentaries about marine mammal captivity and slaughter in Japan. However, Ana decided becoming a marine biologist wasn’t the right fit for her and switched her focus, recently declaring a double major in Literature/Writing and Communications. In high school, Ana enjoyed writing stories and poems in high school and has been dedicated to it ever since. She realized her interests aligned more with storytelling and analyzing how messages are conveyed. Now in her third year of college, Ana aims to work in the communications field, leveraging her background in writing and communication. 

On campus, she is very involved with the TedEx UCSD club where she volunteers with event planning, the writing and communication process, and marketing for the club.  From watching speakers,  Ana decided to become more involved with the TedEx UCSD Club, where she volunteers with event planning, the writing and communication process, and marketing for the club. 

In fact, Ana was one of the speakers at the TedEx Talks in YEAR on the topic of Desire Paths. Picture watching down a dirt pathway and coming across two paths, one less traveled and one that is a bit more worn and walked on. Ana delved into taking the essence of dirt paths and applying them to life. Even though she was trying to go in one direction when she was pursuing marine biology, she came to realize that the path she was following wasn’t meant for her. Ana discussed how by choosing an alternative path, she could still travel in the same direction and move towards the same goal in a more fitting way. Thus, she decided to combine her passion for marine life and storytelling, hoping to pursue a career in communications promoting the awareness of marine conservation and the missions of other nonprofit organizations. She hopes to inspire other students to stay open to new opportunities, particularly when something doesn’t feel like the right fit for them.

Outside of school, Ana is currently an intern for the American Red Cross, sharing the stories of volunteers and service users through social media. In this role, Ana finds it rewarding to find meaningful ways to promote the organization with the public

Ana’s fondest memories with Sixth College include helping lead and shape the First Year Experience Program with Dr. Phoebe Bronstein as a Discussion Leader during the fall quarter of her third year. The class is a low-pressure, optional pass/fail course available to first-year or transfer students at Sixth College. Through this course, Ana helped introduce new students to the UCSD campus and guided them in finding the resources they needed to succeed. The discussions were interactive, aimed at helping students get to know each other and understand campus mechanics. For example, she took her students to the Club Fair on Library Walk. Ana highly recommends the course to any incoming students as it is very valuable to have someone to introduce you to campus and answer any specific questions you have. 

In her free time, Ana loves trying new coffee shops, and exploring San Diego with friends. A few of her recommendations are Love Cycle Coffee in Pacific Beach and Barefoot Solana Beach in Solana Beach. She loves coffee so much that she worked as a barista for a year at Starbucks. Ana also enjoys snorkeling at La Jolla Cove. One of her coolest memories is when a sea lion swam under her while snorkeling. 

Overall, Ana advises her fellow peers and incoming students to keep their options and to value general education courses, as they can introduce unexpected interests. She suggests following instincts, listening to stories and engaging with the community to inspire new thoughts. Just like a dirt path can lead to unexpected and beautiful destinations, opening yourself to new possibilities can uncover new interests and opportunities you never imagined.