Community College Corner: Meet IVC Grad Diego Victoria

Longtime Irvine resident and recent IVC graduate, Diego Victoria is headed to Yale this fall!

In a recent message posted on his LinkedIn page, Diego wrote: “My path to Yale, like many students, has not been a linear one. I was never the promising child in my elementary school. I was never the star student at Arnold O. Beckman High School. I was in remedial English courses in elementary school. I was in math support classes from fifth grade to eighth grade. I failed my freshman year high school Algebra I class and later competed to have the lowest grade in the class. I was rejected from every university I applied to during my senior year.”

Then, Diego enrolled in IVC and never looked back. He says that the professors and staff at IVC helped him to believe in himself. His parents — who immigrated from Mexico and worked 16-hour shifts to provide for their kids — were also instrumental in his success. During his time at IVC, Diego focused on channeling their work ethic and perseverance to make sure that he excelled in his studies.

During his time at IVC, Diego served as president of the Associated Students, a student government group at the college. He became a two-time debate national champion, and presented research at Stanford University, all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. Most notably, he was recognized as one of only 20 students nationally to be included on the 2024 All-USA Academic Team by Phi Theta Kappa and the American Association of Community Colleges.

Last month, Diego received the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. More than 1,700 students from 380 community colleges across America applied for this highly competitive scholarship, which is awarded to only 20 students to complete their undergraduate degrees at four-year institutions with minimal financial burden.

I want to congratulate Diego on all that he has accomplished these past two years at IVC. His story is a wonderful reminder of how previous setbacks in our lives do not have to define our journey to a better future.