UC San Diego has raised a billion dollars for scholarships and medical research, among other things. The money is part of a campaign that began seven years ago. KPBS reporter Nicole Lozare explains what a billion dollars can mean for one student.
UCSD senior Sarahi Loya is really nervous. She's tearfully thanking a crowd, some of them millionaires. She couldn't have gone to college without their help, she tells them. Her parents have a sixth-grade education.
Loya : My dad's a construction worker and he wouldn't have been able to pay while I'm in school or after I graduate, because there's just not enough.
The Chula Vista resident received a full scholarship to UCSD. As a student, she volunteered to find doctors for poor people in Mexico.
Now she's on her way to medical school. She wants to be a pediatrician for poor kids.
She promises to one day return to UCSD, this time as another generous graduate.
Nicole Lozare, KPBS News.
