School: Reynolds High School
“To be the first in my family.” That is the response many College Possible students give when asked why they want to go to college. These students understand that being the first means setting an example, giving hope and setting a new course for their family. However, as the first, they also know the road ahead will be difficult without an experienced advisor helping them along the way.
For Salvador, a college education is his key to realizing the American Dream. However, college hasn’t always been on Salvador’s radar. “There were times when I thought, ‘Should I just go into McDonalds and wait there and hopefully somehow, after 20 years or something, become a manager?’”
The youngest of four, Salvador is now determined to be the first of his siblings to earn a college degree and show his whole family that it is possible. According to Salvador, graduating from college will be an opportunity to show everyone that, “Where you’re from or what your parents do doesn’t define what you’re going to be in life.”
Thanks to support from College Possible, Salvador is confident he can become the first in his family to earn a degree. “If I wasn’t in College Possible, I’d more likely be confused on what to do. Where do I go for ACTs? Where do I fill out the FAFSA? But thanks to College Possible, I’m not really worried about much.”
Salvador is just one of many first-generation students in College Possible Portland working hard to break the cycle of poverty, and we are proud to help him, and every other “first,” continue their dreams of making college success possible.
