Personal Statement

As a first-generation college student, I am passionate about encouraging others to pursue higher education despite what level of education their caregiver(s) received. College was never mandatory or expected of my siblings and me, but I knew that I could foster change and develop skills that would help me to excel in a specific discipline despite the lack of understanding or support that I received from home. Individuals in my school helped me to recognize my potential, and that is what I strive to do as well. I have been able to work one on one with elementary school students who have been in and out of foster care and others who have been neglected to the point that they do not know how to read as a sophomore in high school. I relate to these students in a way that professionals may not be able to because I was once that at-risk child. Through the mountains and valleys I encountered while paving my way as a first-generation college student, I have been able to encourage and hopefully inspire others to believe that they, too, are capable of breaking the stigma attached to those who are not always dealt a privileged life when it comes to higher education.