Introducing Gladys Torres-Carmona
Gladys is a senior majoring in media studies. In her time at UC Berkeley, she’s been a part of the Latinx Business Student Association (LBSA), a social media intern for UC Berkeley Life, and a Resident Assistant (RA). Over some banana matchas at Binge Coffee House, I asked Gladys what it was like to be a Latinx student at Cal—highlights and hardships, how to get involved, and rediscovering parts of herself she was worried about losing.
What has it been like to support people with similar backgrounds on campus?
Since Gladys is a RA, she is frequently a point of contact for her residents:
“Because I’m Hispanic, I’ve had a lot of residents feel more comfortable asking me questions about resources to reach out to, or even just being comfortable talking in Spanish. Sometimes residents drop in a Spanish word, and we start conversing in Spanish. I think having that little bit of connection and being able to see somebody in positions you might want to be in one day is refreshing.”
Gladys during RA training.
Were there any support systems that helped you transition into college life?
“Summer Bridge is one of the biggest things that helped me. It connected me to a lot of people that I still talk to to this day, and they’re some of my best friends. Summer Bridge consisted of taking two classes, and you chose them before summer starts. I chose a theater class and a stats class. You’re only taking two courses, so you still have a lot of time in your schedule to find a rhythm. That’s kind of where I realized the difference between high school and college.”
Did you face any challenges adjusting to Cal?
“It was life-changing to be able to talk to people that come from all different paths and experiences, even within Latinos themselves. They’re not all from Central Valley, like me. Some of them were international—like from Peru or Guatemala—and I think that, in and of itself, was valuable.”
Did you join any identity-based clubs at Cal?
“I joined LBSA my second semester of freshman year as a marketing intern. It was my first time as a club member, but also as an intern. We were in charge of things like creating Instagram posts and TikToks—appealing to different audiences. Latinos who join are typically interested in business, but they accept anybody, even if you aren’t a business major. It was a big community. I was surrounded by other people who were Latino.
Gladys and other members of LBSA.
“Sometimes you subconsciously surround yourself with people who are similar to you. I think that even within those similarities, there were so many differences in that group. It makes Berkeley feel a little bit smaller. I liked the way that it felt being in that club, surrounded by other Latinos who also enjoy marketing, enjoy business, and also being Latino.
“I think joining that club made me realize I like creating content. That’s when I decided I was going to go for marketing, and how I eventually ended up majoring in media studies.”
More Clubs & Orgs to Try
While she’s not a part of any of these clubs directly, Gladys also mentioned the following for students looking to get involved in Latino culture at UC Berkeley:
- Raíces Recruitment and Retention Center – Raíces is a Recruitment and Retention Center under the bridges Multicultural Resource Center aiming to provide resources to Latinx, low-income, and first-generation students.
- Salsa @ Cal – This organization runs a DeCal, Open Practica sessions, a competitive dance performance team, and fosters connections within the Latin community.
- Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) – With a network of over 100,000 professionals and students, this organization provides mentorship and professional development opportunities, along with—of course—community building.
Raíces tabling.
Have you taken any classes that interact with your identity?
“I haven’t taken a single one, except for this semester. I’m taking two now: a Spanish 100 class and a Chicano Studies class. Spanish 100 is completely in Spanish because it’s a linguistics class. I realized I don’t really speak Spanish when I’m here. When I go home and I converse with my family—they mostly speak Spanish—sometimes I feel like I can’t communicate properly. I wanted to be surrounded by Spanish. For Chicano Studies, I wanted to be more aware and connected. This year, I realized how disconnected I might be from my Latino identity; I want to discover more of it at Berkeley.”
Latino food recommendations near Cal? Yes!
Here’s what Gladys suggested:
- Las Cabañas Mexican Grill & Taqueria – Located on Martin Luther King Jr Way in Berkeley
- Tacos Sinaloa – Located on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley
- Los Moles – Located on 65th St in Emeryville
One Last Bit of Advice: Be Brave
“You have to put yourself out of your comfort zone. You have to go out and do that scary thing, join that club that looks intimidating, and do that class that you think you’re not gonna be great at. You don’t have to completely jump into the deep end of the pool, but submerging your toes is a good first step. I don’t think I would have found my community at Berkeley without being nervous. I still went out and tried. Whether you’re a transfer or a freshman, local or from far away, it’ll still feel new, because it is new. I used to try to talk to random people in the dining halls and they turned out to be amazing people. You never know where it’s going to lead.”
Milana Berhe, Class of 2028, is majoring in astrophysics and political science and minoring in creative writing.
Want More?
- Read Melissa’s experience being Latinx @ Cal.
- Meet 6 of Cal’s amazing Latinx faculty!
- Are you First-Gen? Start Here.