As a first-generation Latina student, Vivian Hernandez had little guidance or financial support when she applied to college.

Now a senior at Chico State, she'll graduate in May 2022 with double majors in history and Latin American studies and minors in Spanish and global development studies. Vivian is the president of Phi Alpha Theta and the History Club, director of external affairs for MEChA de Chico State, a student ambassador for the College of Humanities and Fine Arts, a supplemental instruction leader and an editor of The Chico Historian.

Vivian's passions for history and activism led to her highly praised original research on women's fertility in 20th-century Mexico. Serving as vice president of the League of United Latin American Citizens Young Adult Council, she gives back to her community in Hollister, where she serves marginalized populations.

Vivian will soon apply to graduate school to pursue a Ph.D. in history or gender studies with the goal of becoming a professor.