Melissa Segura is a shin-sansei (third-generation) Japanese American and Mexican American, raised in Long Beach, California. She is a sociology major, with an emphasis in law and society in her final quarter at UC Davis. She transferred to UC Davis after her first year of college and will be the first in her family to graduate from a 4-year university. 

 

Melissa has held various leadership positions within the Japanese American community, which has brought her closer to her identity. She is passionate about creating an inclusive and empowering campus environment for all students. 

 

Once Melissa graduates with her bachelor's, she plans on going back to Long Beach and take a gap year before applying to law school or a PhD program. During her gap year, she hopes to find a job and volunteer in her community. To her, volunteering is one way that she can give back to the community that helped her grow and flourish. 

 

In her free time Melissa enjoys going to the gym and has recently been obsessed with spin classes. She also enjoys going figure skating, as she used to be a competitive figure skater when she was younger. When she wants to stay indoors, she enjoys crocheting next to her cats Louie and Pumpkin. 

 

Region in the diasporas I identify with: Japan, Mexico