Stories

Alex Villeda

Alex Villeda, MD, Duke University, 2016-2017 After being the first in his family to graduate high school and college, Alex’s mission was clear—he wanted to be a role model for students like him and help illuminate pathways to education after high school. Alex wanted to provide students with the guidance he wished he had growing up. During his time as an adviser, Alex developed the Scholar Academy for Latinxs United for Diversity, or SALUD, which is a 12-session, culturally relevant program to support Latinx students who want to pursue healthcare careers. After his service, Alex returned to Duke University to complete medical school and is now a pediatric resident at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D. C., where he continues to develop skills in leadership, program development, and community partnerships. He is currently in the Leadership in Advocacy, Under-resources Communities and Health Equity track at Children’s National Hospital, which supports his passion for youth empowerment and health justice for disenfranchised communities.

She Gives Students Voice and Choice

He Says Laughter Breaks The Ice

She was the ideal college applicant. But this first-generation student needed more help.

GARDEN CITY, Kansas – “Eat Beef, Keep Slim,” the feedlot sign shouts in this rural stretch of southwest Kansas. Ashlee Villarreal’s parents – her Tejano father, her Mexican mother – came here when she was young, part of an influx of Latino families who helped Garden City grow from almost 23,000 people in 1990 to more than 28,000 just a decade later.

Gabriel Smallwood, Jr.

“He [Gabriel] has been so diligent in offering opportunities and resources for students to prepare them for college and otherwise. His great insight into student interests around post-high school goals plus his continuous eagerness to learn from and participate in classroom spaces, makes him easily one of the best college advisers I’ve worked with.” —Erin Horton, English teacher at Clarke Central High School

Brittany Coleman

"I'm the founder and CEO of Tough Cutie, a line of women’s hiking socks. After working in the basic apparel industry, I decided to design women’s socks and legwear. I started Tough Cutie as a way to support women in our walk-through life—as adventurers, entrepreneurs, caregivers, and everything in between."

Preston Kilgore

"I work for a City Council/Supervisor on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in California. I work in education, small business, cannabis, public transit, and housing policy. Before moving to San Francisco, I worked for the Lenfest Scholars Foundations, managed political campaigns, and worked in political consulting."

Mikayla Cowen

"Building relationships with and helping students was absolutely the most rewarding part of my service with College Advising Corps. There is nothing more rewarding than being part of something that helps to create equal opportunities for students who may not otherwise have access."

Alejandra Acosta

"Since working as an adviser, I pursued graduate school. I've worked at a couple of think tanks doing research on higher education state and federal policy. I now work at an education technology startup, advising them on how to use their technology more equitably, and writing messages that the technology sends to students."

Emily Hadley

"I loved most the one-on-one conversations I had with my students in my office. The adolescent teenage years are some of the most special years in a person’s life. It’s during this time that they are beginning to draw their own conclusions, form their own thoughts, and plan out their hopes and dreams."

Adviser Named Virginia State AmeriCorps Member of The Year

Lee Bernstein, who this month is concluding three years of service as a College Advising Corps adviser at the University of Virginia, has been named Virginia State AmeriCorps Member of the Year, an annual award recognizing and celebrating members who exemplify one or more AmeriCorps pillars, Unite, Strengthen, and Lead.

Ben Wilkerson