“My journey of pursuing higher education started with the question, ‘Can I pursue higher education?’
I’m a first-generation student and the oldest in my family. My parents didn’t know a lick of English [and] Spanish was my first language.
My parents always told me if I didn’t understand something at school to ask my teacher. Because of this, I grew up asking for help out of necessity. When I started asking around [about college support], I heard about College Possible.”
Growing up in Milton-Freewater in Umatilla County, Guadalupe believed in the power of education for her future.
Joining College Possible connected Guadalupe with one-on-one coaching and scholarship opportunities. Guadalupe is now a Ford and Renaissance Scholar at Oregon State University (OSU) and is set to graduate debt-free with a major in Supply Chain and Logistics Management with a minor in Spanish. She joined CAMP (College Assistance Migrant Program), where she found a network of peers and support on campus to thrive in her first year.
“When I was accepted into CAMP at OSU, I realized that yes, I can pursue higher education and that I am welcome here.”
Now Guadalupe is paving the way to higher education in her own family. Her brother joined College Possible the year after her and is now attending Oregon Tech, and she is urging her brother in high school to pursue his education goals as well.
“One of my biggest goals is to retire my parents. My parents are immigrants and they sacrificed a lot in their life for me to be where I am now. My dad never finished elementary school and my mom could only graduate high school. They both had hopes of continuing their education but due to their family circumstances, they had to work to support their families. Once I retire my parents I hope to enroll them back into school so they have the opportunity to learn English and then study something they are passionate about. Growing up my parents always told me that education is a luxury and I want to give my parents the luxury of education.
My degree will allow me to do the things I was never able to do when I was younger. I’m not only getting my degree for myself, but also for my family.”
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