College Visions College Essays, 2019-2020

Keep Moving Forward 2020 has already brought so much change, but we are proud to say that students continue to adapt and rise to the many challenges they face each day all while finding reasons to smile.

We hope you take a moment to read these 10 essays written by young and talented CV students. They touch on topics like life as an ESL student, being a business woman, their love for science and more. Realize that your essential support helped them continue to persist through their educational journeys and share their stories with the world. Thank you for supporting College Visions and a special thank you to all of the CV supporters who have given so generously this spring to support students through the COVID crisis.

To Jason, Giselangel, Suphathai, Steven, Jhan, Jonathan, Evsyvette, Olguine, Harolyn, Olamilekan and all students starting and continuing their educational paths, we see the strides you’re making and we encourage you to keep moving forward—the finish line isn’t far from your reach.

College Visions Enrollment, Persistence, & Graduation “Our Vision, Their Dreams”

Student Essays JASON SIBRIAN Language and Me GISELANGEL FELIZ Justice for Non-Native English Speakers SUPHATHAI TRYCHANH Her Struggles, My Triumphs STEVEN LIVE Ice Cream for Science JHAN LUIS POLANCO My Community, My Home, My Future JONATHAN FLORES Staying Present EVSYVETTE CHAPMAN My High School Comeback OLGUINE COLIN Resiliency & Purpose HAROLYN DE LOS SANTOS A Lesson From My Grandma OLAMILEKAN BANJO Nigerian Dreams, American Reality

Jason Sibrian, Classical High School ’20 College Acceptance: Boston College

Language and Me “¡Corre niño, corre!” I shouted at my brother as he ran from the tree in our backyard to the pole. When we were kids, Jeffrey and I spent a lot of our time playing games with each other. Since my first language was Spanish, all of the games we played were in Spanish. This language was dominant in our home and that was all I knew until I taught myself English at five years old. As a result of my development occurring in an environment that deemed Spanish as normal and acceptable from the very beginning, I was blind to its beauty and unprepared for the intensity of the English world that I was thrown into as a child.

My most vivid memory of kindergarten was when I asked my teacher if I could get up to use the restroom. After I sat on the rug and asked her, she told me it was “occupied.” As a kindergartner, I believed I understood most of the English language, yet I lacked the knowledge for that specific word. I assumed that it meant yes and rose from the rug confidently, just to be quickly put back down by her frightening yell. In those ten seconds, I felt as if I had forgotten the full English language. This overwhelming fear resulted in a cyclical nature of only speaking English.

Being raised in a country that is predominantly English-speaking, I was restrained from experiencing the richness of different languages. My parents always told me that being bilingual would provide many opportunities. But how could I believe them when I was subjected to the prejudiced beliefs of society? The environment at school left me ignorant of the fact that language should be appreciated, and I shouldn't feel ashamed. This fear and lack of empowerment disguised itself as a comfort zone, and I loved being comfortable. It was not until July of 2019 that I finally made the decision to step out.

This past summer, I spent three weeks at a pre-college program. The Medical Diagnostics course, not only, aided me in exploring my interest in medicine at a young age, but the program itself

led me to learn more about myself than I had in the last sixteen years.

Watching students communicate in their own language, lacking total fear of judgment, left me jealous and curious as to how one could be so free and self-accepting. It was my goal to walk around wearing their shoes. In those twenty-one days, I made a group of friends that only spoke to me in Spanish and that feeling I used to feel at home when I was a child was present after so many years of its absence, except now I was not blind to it. Being in an environment that exposed the beauty of embracing one’s unique individuality, made me realize that mine hungered for a deeper meaning, and I fed it through language. I fell in love with Spanish and began speaking it everywhere —slowly breaking myself free of the chains that once held me captive. I was ready to finally be me. The value of knowing more than one language became so important to me that I could not bear to forget it. After years of not knowing who I was, I rediscovered a part of me that was constantly dismissed.

Although Spanish may appear as a skill of mine, it is so much more than an alternative to English. Spanish is home for me. My passion for this beautiful language is still flourishing, and the fear that was once so powerful has now become insignificant. As I continue to discover more of myself in other aspects of my life, I do so knowing that at least it can be done in another language—a language that defines me in a way that society cannot.

GiselAngel Feliz, Classical High School ’20 College Acceptance: University of Rhode Island

Justice for Non-Native English Speakers Every year, English Second Language (ESL) students come to the United States, but less than 1% of teachers are certified to teach these students. I was one of those students. Spanish is my first language and I spoke it at all times, but this all changed when elementary school came around. I had to learn the English language quickly and I felt stripped of my native tongue.

I was put in an ESL classroom where I learned English with other students that were also like me, but caught on rapidly, which allowed me to exit that class and enter classes with other non-ESL students. In middle school, however, I noticed that the ESL students were segregated from all of the other students.

ESL students had all of their classes in the basement, while the other students had their classes on the first, second, and third floors. This affected the ambience of the school. Many ESL students were left out of activities and nonESL students didn’t bother to communicate with those who were learning English. This segregation caused me to forget my identity of once being considered an ESL student, because I tried so hard to fit in with all of the other students. Nevertheless, this all changed during Fall of 2017.

I was given the opportunity to teach ESL high school students and help reform the educational system with an after school organization called Youth In Action. I was placed in the Language Justice Collective and learned about the miseducation of ESL students that I have never paid attention to before.

With the Language Justice Collective, I taught a classroom of ESL high school students and helped create change. Many of these students were just like me.

They all came from families where English wasn’t their first language and many of them spoke Spanish. As a member of the Language Justice Collective, I connected with the ESL students and remembered how it felt to not be heard. In a lot of ESL classrooms, including the one I was in during elementary school, teachers are often teaching students

English while speaking to them in English. This can often be very frustrating because us ESL students are trying to learn a language, but are being spoken to in a language that we do not understand. These teachers often give up on their students and don’t provide them the same opportunities as the non ESL students. In America, there is often a stereotype that if you’re unable to speak English, then you can’t be successful in life. As a member of the Language Justice Collective, I informed students of many job opportunities and programs that they could be a part of after school that didn’t require the use of English. Some examples of these opportunities were the City of Providence summer jobs for youth, or tutoring at their local library. They were thrilled to hear that there were opportunities for them outside of school where they could further develop their English proficiency and break down stereotypes.

Over the course of this class, I truly saw myself in these students and finally decided to take a stand and help them find a role in their community, regardless of their language barriers. Being a former ESL student defines part of me and I won’t let the stereotypes and obstacles throw me off my course to achieve my goals. These stereotypes will not stop me from being the bilingual woman of color that I am today—powerful, brave, and courageous. I will continue to use my ESL advantages to help those who have been put in a similar position as my own.

Suphathai Trychanh, E-cubed Academy ’20 College Acceptance: Boston College, OTE Program

Her Struggles, My Triumphs My country questioned my ability to be educated. I grew up in the capital city of Laos where the government’s policy towards education caused the lowincome students to lose the opportunity to be educated, as money was an important factor to gain an education. In Laos’ primary education systems, students’ learning outcomes are low because of the lack of teaching and learning materials. Every night, I patiently told myself, “one day it will be my day.” My mother was a single parent of two. Not having a dad in the picture didn’t affect me because my mother played both roles. However, it did affect the finances of our family; it caused my mom to work harder. Both my brother and I watched my mom work hard every day to make sure we had food to eat and money to attend school. Because she was on call, there would be days she worked from eight o’clock in the morning to midnight. My mother’s struggle is the foundation of my strength, grit, and determination to be something in life.

I woke up at six o’clock every day to make it to school on time. My mother would drop us off on the way to work and sometimes make us late because she had to pick up or drop off stuff to her office beforehand. That drove me crazy because our school was strict about attendance. Every morning before class started, all of the students headed to the playground and lined up for morning assembly. If you were late you had to enter a different line, so when assembly ended, those who were late cleaned bathrooms and the schoolyard.

I never wanted to be late.

In Laos, school hours were seven to four. You could pay for “extra hours,” which designated more time to study. I begged my mom for this because no matter the struggle, I knew education was my way out. So, my school hours became seven to five, which meant that I had to walk 30 minutes to my grandma’s house after school because no one could pick me up. I got jealous of my friends whose parents picked them up because I was always alone. No matter the weather, I walked 30 minutes alone. Most days I stayed at my

grandma’s until my mom picked us up. I took a shower there, ate dinner, and waited. I never knew what time she was going to come. Some nights she would pick us up in the middle of our sleep and I would suddenly wake up at home. This was part of the price we had to pay in order for us to get the education we deserved.

Fast forward a few years, we made it to America. She paved a way for us to get here. She remarried and our lives changed. Though this is her destiny, there is so much more for me to accomplish. I am a firm believer in things happening for a reason and I know that our journey to the States has everything to do with my mother’s sacrifice to make a better life for my brother and me. I barely spoke English when I arrived here, but that was just another obstacle I was willing to overcome. I quickly went from being an ESL student to one of the top honors students in my graduating class. I went from being the shy and quiet girl to someone so outgoing and active, you wouldn’t recognize me. Here I am in the most prosperous country, enthusiastic and ready to learn. I’ve dedicated and will continue to dedicate myself to my growth in order to show my mother she did the right thing. Her sacrifices were my gains and my gains will be the root of all of our growth.

Steven Live, Cranston High School East ’20 College Acceptance: Community College of Rhode Island

Ice Cream for Science A bell sounded that chilly fall, and I was filled with joy to be going to Science Club. I was seven years old when I first had an interest in science. My classmates and I ran to the second floor where the science room was. When we got there, we were met by two smiling college students. My friend Jimmy and I rushed to the materials that we were going to use that day. There was a big box of kosher salt, many bags of ice, many quarts of heavy cream, eight ounces of vanilla, and a box of Ziploc bags. At the time, I didn’t know all of these materials would make ice cream. When everybody in the room settled in, the college students started teaching us about the scientific method.

The whole process was fun, from mixing the materials together, to shaking the bags of ice and smashing them on the desk. The room was filled with the smell of vanilla extract, and my hands were cold from holding the ice bag. At the end of the experiment, they told us that we had made ice cream, and I was very happy. Now, looking back on that day, my love of science stemmed from that first day of Science Club. To this day, that was the best ice cream I’ve ever had.

Now I’m seventeen years old, and it’s the summer before my senior year. I finally joined the football team after begging and pleading with my mom to let me play. I figured out how to balance working at my first job and practicing football during summer break. My football coach, who was also my guidance counselor, told me there was a possibility that I’d have a chance to play varsity football and hearing that really meant a lot to me. Everything was going great at this time. I was making money, and football was going well, but right before the season started, I tore my ACL. I was at practice running a play called Dartmouth. When my injury happened, I was in a lot of pain for a couple of weeks, but thought it was just a sprain. Sadly, it wasn’t, and I needed surgery to reconstruct my ACL.

Around the same time I got hurt, which was the beginning of the school year, I got to meet the funniest, smartest, honest, and most genuine person I’ve ever met—my anatomy teacher. Her class is the type of class you look forward to having at school because of how she believed her students could learn anything even when they didn’t believe it themselves. Her class has reignited my love for science just like that first day of Science Club. In addition to that, her class also sparked my interest in physical therapy as a career path. I believe physical therapy is an ideal career path for me because after I had ACL reconstruction surgery I immediately had to start therapy and quickly liked the process. After a few weeks of therapy, I started to feel better and saw myself as a physical therapist. I believe that having the ability to ease or alleviate someone’s pain or recovery is just amazing and satisfying. Physical therapists basically help injured or ill people improve their movement and manage their pain. I am very fascinated by the human body and its various systems. I am eager to learn about how to help people with the problems they have with their body.

Jhan Luis Polanco, Providence Career & Technical Academy ’20 College Acceptance: New England Tech

My Community, My Home, My Future In fifth grade, I found a science book for children full of experiments in my aunt's house. Some experiments involved water pressure and others focused on batteries and circuits. I always used to love taking things apart: cars, toys, and even flashlights. I remember one day being on the floor of my bedroom with a flashlight, a nail clipper, a screwdriver, some wires and a nine volt battery. I used the screwdriver to take apart the flashlight and then used the nail clippers to peel-off the plastic coating on the wires. When I took the flashlight apart I found that there was a small lightbulb inside. I immediately grabbed my battery, two pieces of wire and the light bulb to create and a circuit. When I plugged both wires from the battery to the light bulb, the lightbulb shined brightly for about two seconds, and then completely burnt out. That day, I learned why flashlights use three volts instead of nine! I also learned my first science lesson: most things are discovered by trial and error.

Junior year, I started an internship with my engineering class at Brown University. When we arrived for the first time, I saw this huge room with work tables, many computers, cameras, and colorful plastic parts lying around, but the coolest were two big six foot tall robots. The computer science professor showed us around the lab and let us operate a few of the robots. Once a week, we went to the lab to help build what they called “PiDrones.” These drones were used to teach students about robotics and programming. The engineering class ended, but I came back to the lab to work in September and continued to for every Friday after that.

When I worked on the drone, I kept one model at Brown and they let me take another model home so I could continue working. I kept it in my bedroom and worked on it during the weekend. What I love most about working with the drone model is that its a flexible project, meaning that you could interchange parts and do different things with it.

I loved working with the team at Brown. When you work with others, it is more efficient and you can get things done more quickly. Another reason why I enjoy working with a team is that sometimes what you fail to see, others can see. I also learned that trial and error is better when you work with others.

One day, my partner and I used too much soldering material and two connections fused together by accident. My partner laughed and said, “Yeah, you did that wrong” which made me laugh. If I were alone, I would’ve probably been angry at myself. When we finally finished building our drone after 6 weeks, we were able to go to another lab and test if the drone functioned properly. We saw the rotors start to spin, and it worked! It was fun because we got to share that moment together.

When I look around my community, I see a lot of great minds who may have had a better life if they went to college and could have gotten jobs that they love. I want to go to college because I am a person who enjoys learning new things. Perhaps I’ll become a mechanical engineer or a computer science engineer, who knows? What I do know is that I love to find out how things work and am willing to spend all of my undergraduate career learning how to do so.

Jonathan Flores, Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts ’20 Deciding Between: University of Rhode Island & CCRI

Staying Present I stood in dance class, nervous, while everyone else was smiling, excited, and engaged. My palms were sweating, as I listened to a classmate ask, “Wait, you dance?” He giggled, not expecting me to be a dancer. I felt lost and as if I didn’t belong there. I’m a film major at my performing arts school, but each year we were required to try an arts minor for the third quarter. The bell finally rang, and as I proceeded to my next class, I found myself emailing the school administrator requesting to transfer out of dance.

This moment in dance was not the first time I felt a sense of instability.

Growing up, I was extremely shy and quiet and oftentimes had a difficult time meeting new people. Reflecting on my childhood, I believe this was related to the unpredictability my family faced with regards to my father's immigration status in the U.S. As I headed off to school, my heart was left pounding as I imagined what could happen by the time I returned home. Gradually, the stress began to affect my academic performance. I began to lose interest in hobbies I previously enjoyed, and felt less motivated to perform at my best academic potential. I stopped going to the gym every day to play basketball, and often had a hard time maintaining focus in class. Knowing that dance class would require me to perform movements in front of people made me feel very uncomfortable. I felt like I already had enough fear in my life.

Throughout the next few days, I tried out different arts minors, seeking a better fit among music, theatre, or film—all of which I enjoyed. The following week, I had to make my final decision regarding my minor, but I couldn’t decide. I didn’t want to feel like a “quitter” by leaving dance. One of my teachers, Ms. Nadeau, motivated me to stick with something that I found intimidating. She said to me, “You are capable of anything, you just have to believe in yourself”—words of wisdom that helped me keep my head up.

Upon returning to dance class, the first thing we did was grab a yoga mat for meditation. At first, I was caught a little off guard, and I said to myself, “What is the point of this?” As time went on, I started to learn the importance of meditation. Meditation helped me deal with these stressful times, by calming me down. As soon as I got home, I would go to my room to meditate. I realized that I benefited from this initially fear-inducing class in unexpected ways. I gained confidence in myself, which has had huge impacts on my life.

My accomplishments in dance class helped me build up my self-esteem. I started to participate more in other classes and spoke to students in each class without being afraid. By challenging myself to push through the dance class, I came to the realization that I was capable of overcoming my fears by staying present with them.

My dad, similarly, has stayed present during the ups and downs of the immigration process. He wants something better for my life, and over time I realized he did not want to see me sad over his situation. I turned the instability my family faced into a positive result by finding the motivation to keep pushing and make my parents proud of the person I am. Now as the salutatorian of the senior class, I have taken several college courses, created original films, and cared for my younger brother regularly. I know that the strengths I’ve developed will serve me in my goal to become the first person in my family to complete a four-year college degree. Though this journey will likely be filled with new experiences and unknowns, I feel ready to face them with confidence.

Evsyvette Chapman, Shea High School ’20 College Acceptance: Rhode Island College

My High School Comeback Two years ago was a bump in the road for me. I had personal problems and had lost my best friend in the process. My best friend did not actually die, but to me it felt like he did. I thought it was the end of the world and felt like I lost my other half. I wondered if I was being over-dramatic, but it’s hard when you get used to a routine and it suddenly changes. We used to spend every second together, whether it was in the classroom or out, and now we act like total strangers when we pass each other in the hall. I started to feel down and lonely. My feelings would overflow my mind and I felt lonely in a room full of people; I was unwanted by my favorite person. I would keep everything inside and had no energy to do anything. Even though school work is very important to me, this affected my grades and my dedication to my school work.

I was not my usual self and although I tried to hide my sadness, my parents noticed something was wrong. My mother wanted me to talk to her about what I had been feeling, but it was difficult. I couldn’t—not because I didn’t want to, but because I never really knew what to say. Yeah, I wasn’t my usual self, but I didn’t want her to worry more than she should. My mother then suggested talking to a therapist. This decision actually helped me more than I thought it would. Our conversations created helpful solutions to my problems and gave me ideas to clear my mind. She suggested that I join something in school, didn’t matter what it was as long as I got involved. I’ve never played tennis before and decided to join because it was something new to me.

Turns out tennis was a great idea and was just what I needed. I’m not really good at the sport, but I love the girls on my team. Playing tennis made me feel better mentally because I was now focused on the game and the difficult times no longer mattered. In addition to finding community in the sport, I made new friends who support and care for me and I will surely miss after high school.

Since I was feeling better mentally and emotionally, I realized it was time to get back on top of my education. I asked my teachers for extra help and was able to stay after school almost everyday to get caught up. Giving my teachers a little insight of what I was going through helped them understand why my grades had slipped. One day my teachers acknowledged my improvement and it felt good to hear, “I am proud of you”. Their encouragement was just the push I needed to see my guidance counselor and to start looking into things associated with college.

Overall, I realize the problem I had last year was just a minor setback and over time things do get better. In a weird way I am sort of glad I went through this because I believe that things happen for a reason and you can grow from your experiences. I learned that finding and doing things that make me happy, helped me to be more independent and help prevent emotional distress. A year ago I was not even thinking about my future and now I am currently in two programs that help with the college process. My grades have really improved and I am earning almost all straight A’s. Throughout our lives everyone experiences tough times, but it is important to learn from the experience and turn it into something good. I know my time in college will help me grow as a person and lead me to a career path that is best for me.

Olguine Colin, Dr. Jorge Alvarez High School ’20 College Acceptance: Providence College, MLK Scholarship

Resiliency & Purpose It was the first day back to school after the Christmas break, and I was excited to see my friends. From my room, I could hear the meteorologist on the radio in the living room saying that it was going to be a beautiful, sunny day. On my way to school that morning, I could see the hope of a promising day in the eyes of the people. It was one of those days where everything was in sync and everybody seemed connected.

After a long day at school, I fell asleep on the bus on my way home. I woke up to what felt like a train approaching; the loud rumbling emerged from the ground shaking my bus as if it were a child's toy. When it finally stopped, my ten-year-old self was confused and oblivious to what was going on. Traffic came to a standstill while thousands of people poured out onto the street, screaming and crying for help. As houses crumbled, the air felt heavy and smelled of thick dust and blood. Bodies were piled in the back of a truck and rushed to a nearby hospital; the injured hoped for medical attention even though they knew the healthcare system was non-existent. On January 12, 2010, an earthquake of 7.0 magnitude made me feel powerless in the face of destruction and suffering. Witnessing all those people suffering and dying that day ignited a fire in me to help people that are in desperate need.

I was born and raised in Haiti in a single-parent household. I have witnessed my mother working tirelessly so that my three sisters and I can have something to look forward to in life. Her resilience is a quality that I hope I inherited. Even after the devastating earthquake, I lived for six years in Haiti.

Although I did not lose my life and my family was alive, the weight of my mother’s worries about my future were felt in my daily life. I lost hope of being able to continue my education because the country’s situation worsened. Every day became a constant reminder of how blessed I was to even be alive. Finally in 2016, I had the opportunity to come to the U.S in search of a better life.

Coming to the U.S and adapting to a new culture and environment was the biggest challenge of my young life. I thought that knowing a few English words was going to help me integrate into this new environment. Reality hit me hard when I was told to repeat the ninth and tenth grades. What I learned in Haiti was not enough to earn credits in Providence because I could neither speak nor understand English. The language barrier became my most difficult challenge—one I thought I would never be able to overcome. Giving up crossed my mind many times; self-doubt and frustration filled my head, but then I remembered that was not the first time I overcame an obstacle. I remembered the promise I made to myself after the darkest hour of January 12th—to become a nurse, and care for people to make a difference in their lives. I realized how important learning the language would be for me to attend college and fulfill that promise.

Realizing I would need English to help others motivated me to become multilingual, to work tirelessly and break the intergenerational cycle of illiteracy in my family. This motivation will carry me through college and keep me grounded in the face of challenges. Nursing will give me the opportunity to go back to Haiti and help make a change to the corrupt healthcare system.

Through my work as a nurse, I hope that I will be able to honor the thousands who died on January 12, 2010.

Harolyn De Los Santos, Dr. Jorge Alvarez High School ’20 College Acceptance: Bentley University, Women’s Leadership Program

A Lesson From My Grandma I can still smell the coffee my grandpa would make in the early morning so it would be ready to sell when my grandma woke up. I can still see the people— the ones who worked early shifts— lining up to get their daily dose of coffee, the one that, according to them, would give them energy for the day. I can still hear the heavy metal doors being opened by my grandma at 7:30AM every day. The loud, pounding noise the pilón made when she continuously pounded its mano to smash garlic. I can taste the fried plantains and salami my grandma would give me for breakfast before I went to school. But most importantly, I can still feel the hugs I gave both of my grandparents mientras les besaba la mano, or asked for their blessing, every day without exception.

The diner was painted a beautiful, beaming shade of coral pink at the time. It looked minuscule and insignificant compared to its neighbors on the avenue: bars, clothing stores, bakeries, and even a stadium. The avenue is on higher ground from the rest of the neighborhood, which lies by a river. During cyclone season, the neighbors would come with their families, bringing their important documents and even appliances because they were afraid of the river rising and dragging all their belongings. Although it was a time of panic, we would make ginger tea and tell stories, so it felt like I was just spending quality time with family.

My grandma’s diner was my second home. Occasionally, I would work the counter selling coffee, water, soda, and homemade juice. On the weekends, I woke up early to clean and make salads for her to sell. The diner has had an enormous impact on my life and has molded the way I think and the decisions I make. It was not until I asked myself what career path I wanted to pursue that I realized its significance to me.

My grandma’s diner showed me that a business is not just about money. It made me realize that it is about the people we meet and the strong

relationships we form through it. In a world full of machismo, my grandma taught me that women are powerful. Through her determination and hard work, she demonstrated that women, like men, can take care of the household and at the same time be the main source of income. Although the business world is predominantly occupied by men, she made me feel like I could accomplish anything I put my mind to—contributing to my sense of independence and resilience.

Financial stability is an unfamiliar concept in my family. As I grew up, I saw the sacrifices they made to make ends meet. Through this, I started to value their hard work and learn about tenacity, and eventually applied these lessons to my own life. I had to juggle many responsibilities when I was twelve and had just moved to the United States with my dad and my brother. My days were full from taking care of my younger brother, cooking, and doing my homework. Although there was a lot on my plate, I knew that my effort played a big part in my family’s journey towards economic success.

I have always been fascinated by the business world—the commerce, the people, and how it contributes to everyone’s socioeconomic status. Just how one can taste when a dish was made with love and gusto, one can sense the way a business is run. Through my business, I want to transmit a sense of community, trust, and love. As a woman of color, I want to demonstrate that we have the power to change the narrative. I want to make the statement that women can do more than just domestic duties, and I want to say that we are capable of becoming leaders in business.

Olamilekan Banjo, Mount Pleasant High School ’20 College Acceptance: Community College of Rhode Island

Nigerian Dreams, American Reality In Nigeria, school was a lot more challenging, simply because I attended an all-boys boarding school with no socio-emotional support; it was definitely not the best. Instead of focusing on school, there were many other things we as students focused on to keep us sane. Things like parent visits, which happened once every other month. Only lunch was provided. We had to bring our own food for breakfast and dinner—non-perishable items. Grades were the least of my concerns because I instilled a mindset that if I did poorly, my parents would be called, prompting them to come visit me and bring more food; that did not happen. My family would leave me with what they thought was enough food for two months, but as a growing boy that only lasted a few weeks. After the food ran out, boys would either share, borrow, or even steal food from each other. I was lucky that my older brother was also at the school to help me, but it still wasn’t enough. Teachers did not support us and there were no counselors. There was no technology; it was like living on an island.

Our focus: classes and survival.

In 2017, I came to the United States for high school and lived with my aunt. I now speak to my parents maybe once or twice a month. This has impacted me in various ways, making me independent due to the fact that I, not only, had to support myself mentally and emotionally then, I still do now. Although, not seeing my parents regularly in Nigeria made my transition to America easier, it never took away the fact that I am young and still in need of guidance.

I immediately noticed the school system here was different. Recognizing my sole focus was to excel academically, I was able to put my all into my education. Classes in Nigeria were overcrowded; there was no personal connection to teachers, and leadership was dictated by fear and hate. Here, I didn’t feel like another face in the crowd; I felt like an individual. Attention, I got attention. I was now in a place that not only cared about my development

as a student but my growth as a person. Quickly, I progressed. I was able to put my focus towards school and other extracurricular activities—things I wasn’t able to focus on in Nigeria. I built a community all while learning new things about myself. I started realizing that if I really wanted to take advantage of this opportunity, I needed to prove to myself and my parents that this was where I deserved to be. Through my grades, my involvement in school, and my commitment to making my community a better place, I think I’ve done that.

I will utilize this experience to not only help mold me into who I want to be, but adapt to all of my surroundings. Experiencing education in two totally different countries has opened my mind to the way this world was made.

Where I come from, you fight for what you want, and after coming here, I’ve realized that you work for what you want. I went from being a face in the crowd to a face most people remember. My grades only show my academic growth. The progression I am truly proud of is evident in the man that I am today. I walk my high school hallways with confidence, knowing that I belong here. I am not who I am because of my struggle, but because of the support of those around me. Slowly but surely, I am hoping to make the world around me a better place for people like me, because we all deserve the life we’ve worked hard to have.

College Visions: Our Vision, Their Dreams Supporting College Visions ensures the success of so many low-income and first-generation students in Rhode Island. With you, they have access to postsecondary education and the resources necessary to earn their degree.

Thank you for investing in the future of so many first-generation students!

“The support you’re giving us is incredible! Helping students like us to have the opportunity to attend college is really big! Some of us never thought we could have the opportunity, but with people like you guys, we are making this dream a reality and everything you do now will someday be paid back to the greater community!”

Yuliana Santana Cranston High School East ‘20

98% of CV students enroll in college compared to 49% of students in Providence.

98% of CV students enroll in college compared to 49% of students in Providence.

98% of CV students enroll in college compared to 49% of students in Providence.

Your support makes a difference in their lives!

“I would like to say thank you and I am so grateful to donors because I am able to continue my studies this summer. Donors have made it possible for me to be able to buy textbooks and pay tuition, which is very difficult to do when I am also supporting my family during this time.”

“Thank you so much for the support I’ve been given! I can not explain how

much this has helped me for the months that are to come. I’m honestly speechless as I never thought I was able to received as much aid as I have. I’m so grateful and this has extremely lifted so much heaviness that I was carrying in worry about paying the rent. Thank you so much and everyone who made this possible.”

Maria Marin Guilford College ‘20

Maria Lemus, Rhode Island College ‘21

About College Visions College Visions empowers low-income, firstgeneration college-bound students to realize the promise of higher education by providing advising and resources to promote college enrollment, persistence, and graduation. College Visions advances equal access to educational opportunities in historically under-served communities.

Founded in 2004, College Visions guides 500 students in our sequential year-round programs, College Access Program (CAP) College Success Program (CSP) to apply, enroll, persist through, graduate from college. With 15 years of experience, we celebrate our 320th college graduate this year!

College Visions Staff

Tina Meetran College Access Program Director Acting Co-Director Ashley Davis-Reed Success Advisor Monay McNeil Success Advisor Susan Anderson College Success Program Director Charity Barros Access Advisor Khody Nokeo Access Advisor

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Moira Hinderer Development Director Acting Co-Director Joshua Greenberg Deputy Director Monephia Nembhard Development Associate Facebook: College Visions Instagram: @CollegeVisionsPVD Twitter: @CollegeVisions YouTube: College Visions 131 Washington Street, Suite 205 Providence, RI 02903 Website: www.collegevisions.org

Thank you for giving so generously this spring and supporting students through the COVID crisis.

Abby and James Perry Adam Edelsberg Alexandra Alm Alexandra & Thomas Moffatt Alice Moore Alisha Jane Andrew Koziol Ann D’Abrosca Anonymous Ariel Lambe & Kevin Mercik BankRI Barbara Hurst Belinda Johnson Betsy Sullivan Bev Ehrich Bhikhaji Maneckji Bill and Ann Hinderer Bobbly Valenti Bophal Khiev Brandie Shorte Bruce J. Heim Foundation Carrie Bridges Chiara Sharrott

Chris Soto Christina Anderson Christina Cotto Cicily Shaw Cindy Larned Cindy Umanzor Clarice Anderes & Jack Willis Clay Rockefeller & Manya Rubinstein Cruz & Carol Umanzor Da-Ronn Gomes-Nance Daniel Rodriguez & Susan Rohwer Daniel Siefert David Karoff & Barbara Hunger David Moscarelli David Ziff Deborah Obalil & Jim Olick Derek Farias Eli Nixon Elizabeth Morgan Ellen Welty Elvis Rodriguez Emily Gonzalez

Emmanuel Ventura-Urena Erica & Bryan Dewsbury Erica Elden Fran Steele Glenn Bautista Gleyribel Rodriguez Gracie Gardner Grant Porter Gretchen Verner Heath Marlow Howard & Nancy Chudacoff Ivette Luna Jack Richter & Cassandra Stafford-Richter Jean S. Callaghan Jeffrey and Jessica Brier Jennifer Hosmer Jennifer Wood & Bob Lee Jeronima Nix Jessica Zambrano Jill and Bill Caskey Jill Davidson Jill Harrington Joana Newman

Moira Hinderer Monephia Nembhard Monique Breindel Nancy Carriuolo Nicanor Figueroa Nwando Ofokansi Osvaldo Jose Marti Paula & Jeremy Sager Pegah Rahmanian Perri Leviss Peter Chung Philip Huerta Rachel Littman Rachel Peterson Rhode Island Foundation Rick Benjamin & Margaret Klawunn Ruth Harvey Sabrina Uribe Ruggiero Sandra Lopez Sarah Bowman & Alexis Thompson Shannon Gallagher

Sharina Taveras Lopez Simon Moore Soumangue Basse & Amanda Regino Steven Pina Susan Smulyan Tatyana Yanishevsky Tim Monroe and Cheryl Nixon United Way Victoria Restler Vina Saengdara Vivian Healey Wells & Marguerite Pile William & Dione Kenyon

Joanne Rich Joshua Rodriguez Joshua Wynn & Danika Severino Wynn Julia Gordon Julie Steffes Karen Sheahan Karin and Edward Wetherill Kathryn Prael Dunkleman Keith Catone & Dulari Tahbildar Kelly Clifton Kim Perry Leslie Lampe Long Marcela Betancur Marisa Chock Marjorie Cohen Mary & John Cloud Mary B. Wall Mary Grace Almandrez Michael Czaplicki Mike Katz