Emiliano Rosales picked up volleyball last spring year after his first two quarters at UC Davis were harder than he ever would have believed. After connecting with mentors, he discovered what he truly wanted his life to be. In his second year now, he mentors first-year students facing the same struggles he did.

For Katie Cohen, part of undergrad life is made up of “the grind.” Now in her second year on campus, Cohen, a sociology major and L&S Ambassador, has also learned that friendships are what make for more than just the basic college experience.

As dean of the College of Letters and Science at UC Davis, the largest college on campus that more than 14,000 undergraduate students call home, Estella Atekwana envisions the college as a bridge that helps students make their dreams a reality while being a powerhouse for interdisciplinary research.