Yanfang Liang
As a single mother overcoming domestic violence in 2021, Yanfang has experienced her share of pressures, trying to balance work, life, school and motherhood. After becoming unemployed during the pandemic and getting COVID, Yanfang fell into a depression that almost swayed her to drop out of school completely. Luckily, with the help of the Education […]
Neosha Joynes
From a young age, Neosha experienced the pains of growing up in the foster care system and numerous group homes. Living through physical and sexual abuse, Neosha felt compelled to take her experiences and help others in need. Neosha enrolled in school and switched gears from wanting to be an Early Child Educator to working […]
Jessica Gonzalez
Daughter of a single mother, Guatemalan Immigrant, Jessica witnessed how hard her mother worked to provide a better future for her. Jessica’s mother has been a major inspiration in her desire to obtain a college degree and pursue a profession where she can be of service to others in need. At thirty-six, Jessica returned to […]
Chanel Elliot
Chanel first embarked on her college career at 17, but due to severe anxiety and her mental health being crippled, Chanel had to take time to address many questions about her life and future. Raising a daughter who has been diagnosed with ADHD further encouraged Chanel – having learned to manage her own anxiety, Chanel […]
Kristi Lyn Eaton
Upon reaching her 30s, Kristi had the desire to alter her lifestyle to create a more sustainable living for her family, leading her to educate herself in a career of computer programming. As Kristi is finishing up her fourth semester as a part-time computer science student at Columbia University, she has never felt more enthusiastic […]
Charlotte Coats
Depression was a recurring obstacle to Charlotte’s life when trying to complete her goals – her illness holding her back from completing her schooling. At the age of 19, Charlotte moved to Italy where she worked in an art gallery and began teaching English. Eventually, Charlotte’s journey lead her to wanting to pursue higher education. […]
Erika Caballero
Erika Caballero grew up in Peru with a passion for learning the human body, leading her towards a career in nursing. After personal circumstances caused Erika to put her nursing career on hold, she eventually found her way to software engineering. Motivated by the impact technology has on society and a desire to make an […]
Bree Brown-Rosa
After surviving a deep depression, Bree made the hard but rewarding choice to never give up on herself. After a decade practicing the culinary arts, Bree enrolled in paramedic school, graduating Valedictorian. Currently, Bree is studying Global History and Cell and Molecular Biology, maintaining 3.5 GPA and the praise of her instructors. Prior to Bree’s […]
Maria Teresa Aymerich
Maria was 20 years old when she left Cuba and moved to Floria with her family, and as an immigrant, her journey has been “colored by the pillars of struggle and perseverance.” Maria’s educational path came with many twists and turns. To help her family, Maria secured a full-time job and enrolled at Florida International […]
Ama Afful
Growing up in Ghana, Ama enjoyed learning and her father made sure to instill the importance of education in Ama and all of her sisters. Due to pressures to conform to specific gender roles, after the death of her father (her only true advocate for education), Ama dropped out of high school. Ama’s second chance […]