No family connections

I BELIEVE that if you work hard enough, you should achieve your goals. But I also know that some have advantages denied to others. I first realized my playing field was not exactly level at the University of California Berkeley, where I study electrical engineering and computer science. Many of the other students in my classes had gone to private schools where they'd taken computer courses for years or had parents who were already leaders in the industry.

Even as I excelled in my courses, I felt I was losing ground as my peers were receiving internships in their parents' companies or were helped by their family connections. My parents are immigrants from El Salvador. My father is a janitor at a country club, and my mother runs a daycare from our home. Not much there in the way of connections for an internship with a software company.

Luckily, I've had the support of IDEAL, the Initiative for Diversity in Education and Leadership. This program, started by the Level Playing Field Institute, invests in students like me by providing resources and support to maximize our educational experiences.

Through IDEAL I was fortunate enough to land my first summer internship in the computer industry, at the Open Source Applications Foundation. Here, I help with the creation of high-quality, bug-free code. I enjoy the programming, am proud I am doing meaningful work, and love the atmosphere at the office, which is very informal. At the foundation, every day is ''bring your dog to work day."

My experience at the foundation confirmed for me that I am in the right field of study. Witnessing first-hand the process necessary for creating a high-quality piece of software made me realize that I want to dedicate my life to this. Maybe one day I'll start my own computer company.

The fact that this is a paid internship not only made a huge difference for me, but also for my family. I was able to pay for a summer course at Berkeley for my little brother, who is still in high school. So I could do my part in leveling the playing field for others.

Anthony Franco will be a junior at University of California Berkeley.