Angelina rushed into Clara’s office with a smile on her face and a big envelope in her hand. She had been accepted to the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences at Texas A&M University, where she could begin her journey toward becoming a veterinarian.

Angelina’s biggest worry then became whether she would be awarded enough financial aid and scholarships to attend Texas A&M. Fortunately, with Clara’s guidance, she had completed her FAFSA application in the early weeks of February and had submitted various scholarship applications. In April, she received her financial aid award letter and was pleasantly surprised to see that she would only have to take out a small loan. A month later, she received the news that she had been selected as a scholarship recipient for the Texas A&M Alumni Scholarship, alongside an additional scholarship.  These two scholarships replaced the loan she was planning to take out. Her education would now be completely paid for!

Clara reflects, “Angelina exemplified the drive and motivation that many first-generation students have.  She knew that her decision to attend college was not only a milestone in her life but that it would change the trajectory of her siblings’ lives.”  For her, Texas A&M represented not only the opportunity to obtain a college degree, but also the opportunity to grow as an individual and achieve financial stability. Now, Angelina is enjoying her freshman year at Texas A&M.

Soon afterward, Clara met Angelina’s younger cousin, a junior at Tyler High School. Angelina’s cousin walked into Clara’s office the first week of school and said, “Ms. Ramirez, Angelina sent me here. She said that I need to start preparing for college and that you could help me.” I looked at her and happily replied, “Yes!”