F E AT U R E
By Jacalyn Leake
UCM Alumni Foundation Makes College Dreams a Reality
The University of Central Missouri is committed to helping all students learn and graduate with the skills they need to be successful. Unfortunately, many students struggle with the cost of higher education, especially first-generation students — those who are the first in their family to attend college.
When Del Toro first enrolled at UCM, he thought tuition was due at the beginning of each school year. Being a first-generation student, he was unaware tuition was paid on a per-semester basis. By the time tuition came due for the second semester, he had already exhausted other means of financing, such as work study, to pay for college.
“I want to be a role model for my youngest siblings,” he said. “My brother who just graduated, I want to show him there is a way to do this. It’s hard and it’s rigorous, but it’s also very rewarding. Being a student is not easy, but when you make it through the challenges, you see the light. I saw the light.”
Sergio Del Toro is not only a firstgeneration college student, but also the first generation to graduate high school on his father’s side of the family.
He experienced extreme stress while trying to find a way to continue to pay for his education. It was a scholarship from the UCM Alumni Foundation that relieved
First-generation students are not the only ones who struggle to pay for college.
“ One big reason why I wanted to go to college was to be the difference maker in my family.” – Sergio Del Toro “One big reason why I wanted to go to college was to be the difference maker in my family,” he said. “I wanted to be the first one in my family to try this college stuff. No one in my family has ever attended college. They barely graduated high school and think that is the greatest achievement, but I feel like that’s just the early stages.”
his stress and provided the much-needed financial support allowing him to stay enrolled at UCM. Del Toro is now in his second year as an electrical engineering technology major and said he has ambitious plans about continuing to be a trailblazer in his family.
Olivia Ferdig is a legacy student whose mother attended UCM. Olivia didn’t start out her college career at UCM. After pursuing a degree at another college, she began to struggle financially. Her mother found out about a UCM transfer scholarship that would allow her to continue her education. “At my old school, where I transferred from, I couldn’t afford it without an athletic scholarship, and I lost that scholarship when I made the decision to focus on academics,” Ferdig explained. VIEW VIDEO “So coming here and receiving the transfer scholarship made my final decision.” Ferdig said she feels that the support from the UCM Alumni Foundation has aided her in both her success in college and her future plans. She is studying to be a physical therapist and has high hopes of attending a prestigious graduate program. She knows graduate school will
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