Graduation Speech : Education And Education

Throughout my life, I feel as though I have had many encounters with special education. Growing up, my grandmothers close friend had a daughter that had down syndrome. She was extremely sweet and loved company. Her parents had six other children who were grown and lived on their own. However, she lived at home with her parents her whole life. In elementary school, I do not remember many encounters with special education students. I do remember some kids being taken out of my class for part of the day, but that was my only experience during that time.

While attending California State University, Long Beach, as an undergraduate in 2011, I mentored students who were members of the program TRIO Student Support Services (SSS). The program SSS provides academic support services for first-generation college students striving to earn a four-year degree. The program fostered my passion for diversity in higher education. As a member of the program, I mentored Hispanic and Black American college students. Secondly, I mentored students who experienced social and academic challenges. The program provided me a unique opportunity to mentor a sexagenarian. For instance, I mentored

After reading Sonja Ardoin’s (2014) “the strategic guide to shaping your student affairs career” book, I read a variety of important content that has allowed me to reflect not only in my fieldwork position, as an Advising Assistant for the Puente Program, but also my current status as a graduate student in the Educational Counseling program.

Throughout my life as a child and teenager, I was told by my parents that they worked really hard to get to the safe town and community that we lived in. Growing up in Pacific Grove, California gave me lots opportunities that I didn’t even know I obtained. Unless it had happened to me personally, I didn’t really understand the full picture of what others had to go through. Having dyslexia, the only subject I felt I really excelled in was art. After high school, I still had no idea what I wanted to do for a career or even a major. Monterey Peninsula College has boosted my confidence by showing me that I can be and do much more. Two years ago I would never have guessed that I would be applying to the University of Washington.

I am very grateful for your contributions to my education at Valencia College. The only thing that can prevent me from pursuing my educational goal of earn a bachelor’s degree in Dietetics & Nutrition from the University of Florida is my mindset. I have made up my mind that I will strive for a 4.0 GPA every semester, search for additional scholarships, make connections, and become involved within my community because I know that I can. As a first generation college student of immigrant parents, I understand that there are so many excuses to reasons why many choose not to further their education like the cost of living and tuition being one of them. There are several avenues and helping hands at Valencia College for driven students that are taking advantage of the skill-shops that offer life skills about financing, career readiness, and getting ahead in college,

Marisol has been academically involved in her community and studies. She serves as a mentor at the Elac Puente club

Growing up, I faced many of the challenges; I was a first-generation Mexican-American college student whose first language was Spanish. I grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles, and I did not have any support system to think of an educational career beyond a high school degree. It was up to me to learn how the post-high school education system was structured for individuals who were not the ideal college candidate and to uncover opportunities for myself in the educational world. I went to East Los Angeles College and it was there that I obtained my social network of individuals that assisted me with the transfer process to a four-year institution. I joined many programs, clubs, and community services events. The Puente Program was one of the programs I attended, which provided

With enrollment in the PLME, I would be able to pursue my personal interests in Hispanic Literatures and Culture, Spanish Language, Education, and Social Behavior and apply these lessons to real life situations afforded by the program’s enrichment opportunities.

Not only does the PATHS program model offer a tremendous amount of financial aid, a barrier so tall and wide that it continues to stand between me and a 4-year University, but the combination of access and mentorship benefits are equally as valuable. With ongoing peer, faculty, and STEM alumni mentorship, the fact that I have the opportunity to learn from professors like Dr. Gentry Patrick are unimaginable. Apart from this breathtaking opportunity, the personalized academic advising and priority registration, and the regular interactions with community, philanthropic, and STEM Industry partners makes a phenomenal recipe for a future prospect that I am eager to be apart of. As if this wasn’t enough, the PATHS program creates an empowering community that encompasses a common goal within the mixture of underserved and underrepresented individuals from different backgrounds and communities. With the benefits and mentorship of the PATHS program, students like me can emerge as leaders who not only survive at UCSD, but

From the time that he entered Kailua High School, Pablo exhibited the intellectual promise necessary to be successful in high school and beyond. He has a 3.722 cumulative grade point average (GPA), and has been on Honor Roll throughout the time that he has been in high school, all while taking Honors, Advanced Placement,

The University of Montevallo is a medium size, public college in a small town rural setting.  Three thousand four hundred sixty students are enrolled there with a retention rate of seventy-eight percent. This co-ed college is sixty-six percent women and thrity-four percent men. The student to teacher ratio is sixteen to one. Of the the over thirty majors, six percnt of the students enrolled major in Social Work.

Among the 21 current WES Scholars, senior Amairani Alamillo has found the Woman’s Educational Society to influence her time at Colorado College by continuously offering opportunities for academic and professional exploration. Alamillo , a Spanish major and dance minor, was attracted to CC because of the unique Block Plan, which she felt would allow complete immersion on campus both academically and in extracurricular activities. Recognition for her accomplishments through the WES scholarship gave Alamillo the ability to decline the student loans she was initially awarded and graduate with much less debt than she would have otherwise.

Every high school student dreams about furthering their educational career once they graduate, but when ever there’s a high there is a low. Some are able to attend college without a care in the world since they are finacially stable, but others like myself have to struggle their way to find money just to be able to pay one class. Although, I havethis huge gap keeping me from reaching my goal of majoring in special eduacation I will not let money control my future, I will do whatever it takes to help my parents pay off the class and this is why I come to you today. It would be a great honor if the Guadalupe & Lilia Martinez Foundation can lend me a hand to help me achieve my life long dream. Growing up in a hispanic household I knew that money

Although many peoples’ most significant memories of college are those outside of the classroom, a degree is not conferred based upon such things. Rather, students’ academic performance is what determines whether students earn a degree or certificate. Academic issues were a point of concern at many institutions as incoming students often struggled with basic skills. Furthermore, international students who needed remedial English were less likely to persist (Mamiseishvili, 2012). There have been numerous issues, obstacles, and challenges that may inhibit a student’s ability to navigate the rigors of college. Much has been discussed concerning improved educational opportunities for minority and underrepresented students in

program. Since that time, I have expanded my support to several UT undergraduate students and indigenous high school students preparing for college. Many of these mentees have since attributed their college and professional success to my influence.