Arlin

“There were so many moments where I thought, ‘is this for me? Am I smart enough? Am I strong enough?’ but I follow my own personal discipline…and I ask for help.”

Arlin graduated with a major in data science in 2025 and is now headed to University of Illinois at Urbana/Champagne. She moved to Chicago from Mexico before high school, and the language barrier was so challenging that neither her nor her parents were sure she would even make it through high school. Her aunt motivated her to continue and now Arlin realizes that going to college and acting as a role model for other students like her has become her biggest motivator. Arlin has faced a lot of self-doubt over her college career but relies on her strong discipline—and willingness to ask for help—to push through.

Topics Addressed

(All timestamps are linked in the YouTube comments.)

• 00:00 Intro and background

• 02:16 "Big Why" for being in college

• 03:13 Picking a major

• 05:26 Staying motivated

• 06:14 Moment of doubt

• 06:55 Asking for help

• 07:58 Managing time

• 09:59 A time she had to be really disciplined

• 10:33 Taking notes

• 11:54 What resources did you use?

• 12:15 Key resource: office hours

• 13:14 Key resource: advising

• 14:26 Key resource: Wellness Center

• 15:13 How do you use AI?

• 17:56 Purpose of college

• 18:12 Advice to your younger self