Last Sunday afternoon marked the beginning of a fruitful scholastic journey for first-year and transfer students at CNAS when they, along with their families, attended the annual CNAS New Family Welcome get-together at the Highlander Union Building (HUB).

Part of Welcome Week 2025, CNAS Dean Peter Atkinson, Stephanie Dingwall, CNAS Divisional Dean of Student Academic Affairs, CNAS faculty and fellow classmates were on hand at HUB 302 to usher in the new students as they officially became part of the campus community and embark on their studies.

In addition to the meet-and-greet in the HUB, the new students and their families could stop by information tables and learn about all CNAS majors, R’Garden, Botanic Garden, Undergraduate Academic Advising Center (UAAC), Peer Mentors, and Science Ambassadors.

Dr. Dingwall, who moderated a panel discussion with four of the Science Ambassadors, stressed that all the support services the college offers are dedicated to helping students excel.

For their part, the CNAS Science Ambassadors covered just about everything including move-in day advice, how to get involved in campus activities, the CNAS Learning Communities, surefire study tips, and the varied research opportunities at UCR.

Dean Dingwall’s advice resonated with Robert Chinchilla, a first-year student from Silver Lake in Los Angeles who is majoring in Geology. “I was impressed with what the Science Ambassadors said about developing good, disciplined study habits early on and how crucial they can be,” he said. “And what I heard about taking advantage of the Learning Communities can help with that.”

Robert’s mother, Vanessa, a UCR alumna from the 1980s said that when she attended the school Learning Communities didn’t exist. “The one thing that really stands out is how much UCR has grown in the past 40 years,” she said. “The school has more than doubled in size; so many new dorms and buildings. It’s very different from when I came here.”

Vanessa said that although UCR has changed dramatically, it still retains a lot of nostalgia for her including the fact that her son will live in the same dorm she lived in decades ago, Aberdeen-Inverness.

For Anissa Kothapalli, an aspiring Biology major from Redlands, the professors stand out. “They are amazing, and the research opportunities are incredible,” she said. “But if I’m honest, it’s the Learning Communities that really made me want to enroll here – experiencing classes with a support group of students will make all the difference.”

Anissa’s mom Shara and dad John had mixed emotions like just about every other parent at the CNAS New Family Welcome. “It’s a very surreal feeling,” John said. “Anissa will be away from home, but we aren’t too far away.”

Vanessa Chinchilla agreed. “I’ve been preparing myself for this day the past year. Robert wanted to go to college and I wanted him to have that dorm experience. UCR was one of the best times of my life and when it comes down to it, I’m only about an hour away.”

Pradhi Wagrahy, an aspiring Neuroscience major from Fremont, said she’s excited to attend UCR but it’s a bittersweet experience of looking forward with anticipation while also looking back from where she came. “You have to let go and let them fly,” her mom, Monisha said. “A big takeaway from today is that success at college is all about involvement, getting involved from week #1!”

Welcome Week activities continued into last Tuesday with the CNAS Majors Welcome which featured individual panel sessions for new students that addressed each major. Students who attended got the opportunity to meet professors, advisors and connect with their classmates. Also on Tuesday was the CNAS New Student Welcome lunch in the Physics Courtyard that featured giveaways, music, and pizza.

“It’s an adjustment period, for sure,” Robert Chinchilla said. “But I’m looking forward to all college life has to offer and I’m excited to open new doors into what I possibly want to do in life.”

As Mrs. Wagrahy said, it’s time to “Let them fly.”

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