Campus News
Transfer Day 2025: Welcoming future Banana Slugs
More than 2,000 admitted transfer students and their families attended Transfer Day 2025 at UC Santa Cruz. The event featured a keynote by alumna Reyna Grande, campus tours, resource fairs, and sessions to help students explore life as a future Banana Slug.
Admitted transfer students with copies of A Dream Called Home, gifted during the Reyna Grande keynote at Transfer Day.
More than 2,000 admitted transfer students and their families joined UC Santa Cruz on May 10 for Transfer Day 2025, a full-day celebration designed to support students in their college decision process and offer an inside look at life as a Banana Slug.
The event’s keynote address was delivered by celebrated author and UC Santa Cruz alumna Reyna Grande (Kresge ’99, creative writing, film and video), who transferred to UC Santa Cruz and went on to become the first in her family to graduate from college. Grande’s memoir A Dream Called Home—named one of the best books of the 21st century—chronicles her journey to and through UC Santa Cruz.
“As we navigate these challenging times where our stories, our voices, and our histories are being further marginalized and erased, we need our students to remain strong, to fiercely pursue their dreams, and to channel their skills and creativity towards social justice and meaningful social change.”
Reyna Grande
As a former transfer student, Grande spoke to students navigating similar paths and emphasized the power of education.
“Now more than ever, as we navigate these challenging times where our stories, our voices, and our histories are being further marginalized and erased, we need our students to remain strong, to fiercely pursue their dreams, and to channel their skills and creativity towards social justice and meaningful social change,” said Grande. “In whatever field they pursue–the arts, law, science, education, politics–I hope they use what they will learn at UCSC to fight for justice. To break down barriers. To change the world.”
The event featured faculty panels, student resource and majors fairs, and guided campus tours. Guests also attended sessions on orientation, housing, financial aid, and academic success, along with specialized programming for international students and re-entry scholars.
The day left a strong impression, with 83 percent of attendees saying they were more likely to enroll after attending and 91 percent of reporting a better understanding of the opportunities available to undergraduates at UC Santa Cruz.
“Transfer Day is about making students feel at home,” said Timetra Hampton, Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor of Undergraduate Enrollment and Director of Admissions. “We want them to see all that’s possible here and to imagine themselves as part of our incredible community.”
Admitted transfer students, most of whom are attending California community colleges, have until June 1 to accept their offer of admission from UC Santa Cruz, after which the campus expects to welcome more than 1,000 new transfer students to campus in the fall.