Campuswide Honors alum, Jordy Cardenas (she/her/ella) is excited to be returning to UCI and Campuswide Honors Collegium (CHC) as an Advisor! Jordy was born and raised in a small border town of Calexico, CA and grew up dreaming of being the first in her family to attend a university. She achieved that dream here at UCI in 2016 with a Bachelor’s in Criminology, Law and Society and minor in Psychology and Social Behavior. She was invited to join CHC as an incoming first-year student and from day one of Orientation, Jordy knew that UCI and CHC would be life changing. Since then, she has been honored to be given so many opportunities to grow into the person she is today and be able to return to campus to serve CHC students with the same heart & dedication that was shown to her while she was here.
A peek into her heart and you’ll see her lovely family, Disneyland, boba, Major League Baseball, hand embroidery, Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter, ocean views, the Calm App, hugs, her Abuelita’s Chile Rellenos, and countless cups of coffee.
Since graduating UCI and CHC, Jordy has focused on working at the intersections of Education, Criminal Justice, and Mental Health systems. While working in these fields, she pursued a Master’s in Education with an emphasis in Counseling at San Diego State University. Through this program, she also earned a graduate certificate in Mental Health Recovery and Trauma-Informed Care. She is so excited to utilize this professional and educational background to provide CHC students with equitable, inclusive, and empowering counseling practices.
Jordy is the newest addition to CHC Advising Staff and is incredibly excited to get started with the team to serve CHC students. She will be specializing in addressing prospective student’s needs, including working with our CHC Student Ambassadors to enhance our outreach experiences with more insight into our collegium from a current student perspective. She will also be advocating for transfer student’s specific needs as applicants to and participants in our program so they can get the full CHC experience! Jordy is happy to be a part of a team that supports students academically, within a community, throughout their UCI experience and beyond.
As a UCI and CHC alumna, Jordy’s heart was always called back to returning to campus to be a part of the magic she experienced as a student. She knew the CHC staff to have a strong love of learning and passion for helping students reach their full potential. When Jordy saw an opening in the CHC office, she said, “It was a dream come true.” From day one of her new role as a professional staff member, Jordy believed this experience would be life-changing and she is happy to be able to call UCI her home again.
As a student, the words Jordy most often needed to hear was “You belong here,” and when working with students, it is not just about saying those exact words, but making them feel it too. She hopes that students in CHC carry with them the knowledge that they not only belong, but are needed. She thinks their unique voices are going to shape the future of their fields and they hold so much power in their passion. Jordy hopes students feel empowered to pursue the wealth of opportunities at CHC. She also wants to share that it is ok to not be 100% there yet and that taking the time to ask for help from a trusted mentor, staff, therapist, or friend during moments of doubt is the strongest thing you can do!