University of St. Thomas student Jennifer graduated from Johnson Senior High School in Saint Paul in 2023. As a first-generation college student, she couldn’t rely on her parents for advice and didn’t want to be a burden to her older siblings. With College Possible, Jennifer saw an opportunity to expand her knowledge and have an additional support system to navigate the higher education landscape. “Being able to see my older siblings work through the barriers, whether that was with the help of College Possible or through other support systems, inspired me to take advantage of the support systems made for students like us.”
One of Jennifer’s most memorable moments with College Possible happened during her first year of college. Jennifer felt full of self-doubt, and it took a huge toll on the start of her college experience. Her College Possible coach stayed in close contact, asking how she was doing, what her plans were, and making sure Jennifer knew that she had a support system she could count on. The first few times they connected, Jennifer would often pretend like everything was fine. But after a couple meetings, she took the chance to be vulnerable and told her coach she wasn’t okay. The way her coach responded helped Jennifer feel reassured and validated her feelings. “Having this support system from College Possible really helped me push through one of my most challenging moments in college.”
Jennifer recently joined the inaugural cohort of University Leaders. The university leaders program, formerly known as community leaders, exists to help College Possible students earn degrees by strengthening their campus connections through a supportive peer network. University leaders help foster a greater sense of College Possible community at their institutions by creating a social network of College Possible students on their college campus and mutually empowering one another to thrive. “I was motivated to become a University Leader because of my experience with my college coach, and the way she supported me and was there for me through my imposter syndrome. I wanted to be a University Leader so that I could create safe spaces and community for students like me.”
With her fellow University Leader Aaliya, Jennifer partnered with US Bank to host a financial planning workshop for College Possible students at the University of St. Thomas. Through a connection with the university, Jennifer and Aaliya met with Barry, a US Bank employee who often holds workshops on campus. “We picked this topic because financial literacy and planning are always skills that you can improve on and learn more about! The students who attended the workshop found the budgeting worksheets that Barry provided the most helpful. In addition to that, Barry shared the importance of not viewing budgeting as such a rigid thing and allowing room for flexibility.”
Jennifer plans graduate in 2027 from the University of St. Thomas with a degree in mathematics and statistics and wants to find a meaningful job after graduation. “Being part of College Possible Minnesota has taught me a lot about the importance of helping others. From these experiences, another goal of mine is to support organizations like College Possible so that other students and individuals like me can benefit from their services.”
If College Possible wasn’t there, Jennifer says her college experience probably would’ve been very different. “One of the biggest things I would’ve lost is the support system from the college coaches. The support system from College Possible has helped me navigate things like scholarships and get through the tough times in college.”
What to learn more about what it’s like to be part of the University Leaders program? Check out Shuayi’s story.