Edgar Yak-De Padua

California State University, Los Angeles
Hearst Foundations Scholar

I did not always feel like I belonged. Now, I want to be that supportive figure in students’ lives who says, ‘I believe in you!’ and helps them succeed.

2026

As a first-generation student, Edgar Yak-De Padua sometimes wondered if he belonged in college. But once he embraced a growth mindset, everything clicked into place. He maintained a 3.95 GPA, graduating summa cum laude from Cal State LA with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics.

He also offered a helping hand to others, serving as a teaching assistant for first-year students and as a tutor and mentor at the Math Gym, Cal State LA’s drop-in tutoring service.

Now a Cal State LA graduate student in mathematics, Edgar remains committed to expanding opportunities for others. His goal is to earn a Ph.D., become a professor and popularize mathematics for a broad audience.