Alexis Sanchez-Esquivel graduated from Wenatchee Valley College (WVC) in 2020 with an Associate of Arts and Sciences Direct Transfer (AAS-DTA) degree. He chose WVC because he required a more affordable education opportunity before transferring to a different institution for the last two years of his degree.

Some of his fondest memories from his time at WVC involve serving in the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP), TRIO, and MEChA clubs. Additionally, Alexis participated in intramural sports like dodgeball, soccer, and flag football.

“Being active in so many ways gave me an opportunity to meet new people with a similar background as myself,” he said. “Coming to WVC was the first time I was able to meet people outside of the valley and make new connections with many different people. To this day I keep in touch with some of my friends that I met at WVC who are not from the valley.”

His favorite classes that he took were sociology of race and sociology of sport, which sparked an interest in pursuing a sociology degree.

“I always found sociology interesting because society is always changing throughout the years. Learning and researching topics in those classes was my favorite part,” he stated.

WVC set Alexis for up for success in his career and future goals by helping him build the skills necessary to succeed. “After taking a few classes my first quarter, I gained more confidence in myself for when I wanted to transfer,” he continued.

After graduating from WVC, Alexis transferred to the University of Washington where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Law, Societies and Justice as well as Sociology. Now, Alexis works as a retention specialist for the TRIO program here at WVC.

“It is a blessing to be part of the academic journey for those students in our program because a lot of them remind me of myself being a first-generation student who didn't know a lot of the answers on how to succeed in college,” he said.

A piece of advice Alexis gives to current WVC students is to join a club, sport, or organization. “Students should go out and participate in fun activities that WVC offers to meet other students from different places that aren't from Wenatchee,” he stated. “College is about getting out of your comfort zone and trying new things and meeting new people.”