Voices of Making Waves: Meet Naidelyn Aceves  

“Coming to undergrad, it was my first time being away from home. I think I needed it.”

Naidelyn Aceves (she/her) is no stranger to navigating unfamiliar spaces – from being a first-generation college student from Pittsburg, California, to attending UC Santa Cruz to majoring in art and design with a focus in games and playable media. 

“I came into undergrad very scared but also like ‘I can’t wait’ because it was something new and it was something that I thought I couldn’t do, especially without my family.” 

“Education is a big part of my family,” she shared, crediting them with encouraging her pursuit of higher education.  

Growing up in a low-income, predominantly Hispanic community, Naidelyn often didn’t know anyone going to college but that didn’t stop her. Naidelyn’s hard work paid off when she was offered a spot in Making Waves’ college and career success program and a full scholarship from UC Santa Cruz. 

From Pittsburg to Santa Cruz 

The transition from her predominantly Hispanic neighborhood in Pittsburg where most people looked like her to Santa Cruz’s predominantly white neighborhood was a culture shock.  

“From my background, I thought it was normal knowing how to speak Spanish,” Naidelyn reflected.  

Yet, she built a sense of camaraderie with other students.  

“Going into university as first generation and Latina, it was pretty nice. I had some flavor to bring to the table, and I was able to bond over these shared experiences with other students.” 

Naidelyn also took advantage from her support team at Making Waves, which provides scholarship funding and college, career, and financial coaches who supported her academically, career-wise, and personally through regular coaching sessions, mock interviews, resume building, and more.  

“Making Waves helped me a lot with understanding how financial aid works because I never had to deal with that before, including how much money was coming from financial aid and how much I was going to have to pay.” 

“With my Making Waves coach, it’s been helpful to talk about life in general because it can be stressful and scary. Being able to talk to someone who is more experienced or has some type of wisdom to share is so helpful,” shared Naidelyn.  

Breaking into game design as a woman  

Naidelyn’s passion for art and game design blossomed even though she had a limited background in technology. 

“I grew up without a computer until I was 16 so navigating technology was crazy, especially compared to other students in my major, who grew up playing these big games on PC and PlayStation,” she shared. 

None of this stopped her or her curiosity from exploring the game.  

“My background was very limited in video games. When I played games with the neighborhood kids on their consoles, that’s where my interest for it grew because it looked like magic for me back then. And now I know how much production and coordination it takes to make a whole game.” 

At one point, Naidelyn was one of five women in her game design classes. Yet, she found her tribe with other game designers and especially bonded with the women in her major. She sees the prospects of women representation improving in the future.  

“My most rewarding moments in university were when I came into places with an open mind because I feel like if you go into places with an open mind, you experience everything so differently,” shared Naidelyn, who learned to step outside her comfort zone in college and hopes to work in the entertainment and game design industry upon graduation. 

Breaking barriers for others and herself  

“I am technically ‘disabled’ but I don’t consider myself that because I can do everything,” shared Naidelyn, who was born with a cleft hand. 

She is currently working as a captioning assistant for the UC Santa Cruz Disability Resource Center.

“It’s nice to be a part of a team that is very dedicated to bringing these services to students,” shared Naidelyn, who hopes her work will make it easier for students to access accommodation. 

Reflecting on her college experience and heading towards graduation, Naidelyn shared her advice for fellow students:

“If you’re in a university or college, there is lots of support there for you. Make your voice heard, not only for yourself but for future generations to come.”