From Little Havana to Cannon Green: One Transfer Student's Journey to Princeton

It's National Transfer Student Week!  In this episode, we hear from Alejandro Garcia, a member of the Class of 2022, about the many factors he considered in determining his educational path and how a service-focused curriculum has shaped his Princeton experience. But first, Dr. Keith Shaw, director of transfer, veteran and non-traditional student programs in the Emma Bloomberg Center for Access and Opportunity, offers an overview of the support and resources available to transfer students and his own advising role within the programs.

Princeton's Transfer program, which was reinstated in 2018, looks for a small group of exceptionally well-prepared students from a range of backgrounds, and we particularly encourage applications from students from low-income backgrounds, community college students, and U.S. military veterans.

Alejandro Garcia is a politics concentrator pursuing certificates in Latin American studies and American studies at Princeton University. As a member of the second group of transfer students admitted to Princeton, Garcia holds an associate in arts degree from the Miami Dade Honors College in political science. Prior to transferring, Garcia was recognized as the top transfer student in Florida and among the top ten transfer students in the nation as a Hites Transfer Scholar, All-USA Academic Team Scholar, and New Century Transfer Pathway Scholar. He was also recognized with the Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, the most prestigious transfer scholarship recognition. Garcia’s professional and research interests lie in the intersection between law and political institutions, as he aspires to improve access to civil rights, education, and professional opportunities for underdeveloped and underrepresented Hispanic communities. At Princeton, he serves as a co-founder and president of the Princeton Transfer Association, a student organization focused on representing, advocating, and improving Princeton's non-traditional student and transfer experience.

Dr. Keith Shaw is the Director of Transfer, Veteran and Non-Traditional Student Programs. A native New Jerseyan, he earned his B.A. in history at Rutgers, and his doctorate in political science at Stanford. At Princeton, Keith teaches the transfer cohort’s Writing Seminar, “Everyone’s an Expert,” along with the academic writing curriculum for the Warrior-Scholar Project.