Abigail Mora '25

Abigail Mora '25
Major: Psychology
Involvements: ATLAS Peer Advisor, Ignacio Student Support Services
Awards: Presidential Citation

Abigail Mora ’25, a psychology major from Los Angeles, is a proud first-generation college student whose journey to graduation has been deeply inspiring. After transferring to LMU through the Accelerating Transfer and Low-income Access and Success Program (ATLAS), she found a home and a path forward. “I was able to meet students through the pathway program, which was really nice,” Mora shares. “Having a support system was really important for me.”

When it was time to apply for colleges LMU was always at the top of her list. She reflected on how the staff treated her even as a young child  at a bookfair before higher education was even a priority. “When I was applying, LMU was like the only school I really wanted to go to,” she says. The small class sizes, the beauty of the bluff, and the emphasis on Jesuit values all aligned for what Mora wanted out of her higher education experience. Once on campus, she dove into opportunities that would help her grow not just academically, but personally and as a leader.

Throughout her time at LMU, her motivation stemmed from a desire to make her family proud and to pave the way for others like her. “My family has been everything to me in college,” Mora reflects. “I feel like everything I do is for them and me as well.”

She credits Vanessa Miranda and Karen Arizmendi from Transfer Admission as guiding figures on her journey. “Transfer Admission were the ones that gave me so many opportunities,” Mora says. “I really wouldn't be in the position I am without them supporting me and seeing that I do have potential to be the student, be the person I want to be here on campus”

In addition to being a peer mentor in the ATLAS program, Mora became involved in the Ignacio Student Support Services Center, and Psychology Club, using her experiences to build community. Her advice to students is to put themselves out there. “You really don't have anything to lose when you do that,” she says. “But you have so much to gain.”

When asked to sum up her LMU experience in one word, she chose change. “The person that I came in with is totally different from the person graduating,” she adds. She connects her time at LMU most closely with the pillar Live a Life of Purpose. “I don't want the stuff that I've done here on campus to just be what I do. I want to continue that onto whatever career I choose,” Mora explains.

During her last semester, Mora attended a silent retreat that she felt embodied the Integrate Mind, Body and Spirit pillar. “Being in complete silence in such a peaceful environment helped bring my mind, body, and spirit into a state of alignment and calm that I had never experienced before,” says Mora. “It gave me deep insights into my life, and now, post-grad, this integration is something I want to carry with me moving forward.” Mora plans to take some time off, do some volunteer work, and start researching a doctoral program for psychology. 

“Thank you, truly,” she says. “I feel like LMU definitely made me feel welcome and that my story wasn't just a sob story, but actually something meaningful.”