Destiny L. (“Upskill”)

After high school, I had no idea what my passion was. I had a cousin who had recently graduated from the Occupational Therapy Assistant program at Pueblo Community College, so I applied, interviewed, and was automatically accepted since I completed my prerequisite classes in high school. My parents have always encouraged college but also encouraged their children to follow their dreams. But as a first generation student, it has been difficult since my parents had no experience in college. I felt I was let down by highschool guidance counselors and teachers as I felt they should have prepared us more with a college plan and described what available career paths there really were. I was encouraged to attend college but the tools and information lacked in many areas.
After a couple of semesters of schooling, I was mentored to see what the salary was for an Occupational Therapy Assistant in Colorado. I was not satisfied with the average salary nor the schooling needed to become an Occupational Therapist and I lacked passion for this career. At the time I was paying for schooling on my own, I could not afford a semester at a [four-year] university and did not want to take school loans out. I dropped out of college and worked two banking positions as a teller. I started exploring career paths and decided Law Enforcement was something I truly wanted to do.

In 2021, my first position with CDOC (Colorado Department of Corrections) was CIPS (Colorado Inmate Phone System), in 2022 I was promoted to the Admin Assistant III, and in May 2023 I transferred to LaVista Correctional Facility as an Admin Assistant III to the Volunteer Coordinator. Shortly after the Volunteer Coordinator retired, I was appointed the Interim Volunteer Coordinator. Through my time in the Department, I took the first steps to introduce EDI (equity, diversity, & inclusion); I was appointed to be the ambassador of this program. In February 2024, I was awarded the Excellence in Performance award by the Executive Director. I have exposed myself to training, different agencies, and experiences that have created my current ambitions. In general, the state offers great financial stability, raises for law enforcement, college reimbursement, benefits, 401k, and PERA. Working for the Department of Corrections and the State of Colorado I have become stable financially and feel more comfortable focusing on my education and future rather than 8 years ago when I first graduated high school.

The Colorado Department of Corrections offers a full reimbursement for college, which I am now taking advantage of. As of January 2024, I have now enrolled for the summer semester of college to complete my Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice. I always found the amount needed to attend school without loans was unrealistic in my budget. Though the State of Colorado offers reimbursement, it took myself to save a lot to be financially ready to pay school upfront. Thankfully the Department has a quick turn around with reimbursement and it’s typically 2 weeks after your completed semester.

My dreams and goals for my education is to complete my bachelor’s in Criminal Justice by 2026 or sooner which is very possible. I want to further my career in Law Enforcement; my dream in the next couple years is to be able to overlook and manage programming available in the jails or prison. From there I would like to work my way up in ranking to achieve the Warden or some type of Director title by the end of my career. Depending on my personal motivation, financial stability, college reimbursement, and timing in life and career, I would like to continue my education further to a master’s degree. 

 Jordan S. (“Reskill”)

After high school, I moved to Denver for college at CU Denver. I dropped out after one semester due to a sick family member that I had to help take care of. I also had to quit my retail job at the time. I took a year or so off and tried college again, online this time, at ASU. Due to poor mental health, I dropped out after a year. During this time I worked for my family’s construction company.

I had plenty of support from family and friends. The barriers I have faced were mainly financial. I didn’t qualify for financial aid because at the time my parents made too much.

I have decided to return to school for a certificate in medical coding because my family’s business is closing its doors after 45 years. My family urged me to go back to school so that I have something stable to lean back on when the business does close. Now that I have decided to return to school I’m old enough where FAFSA is dependent solely on my income and I was able to qualify for grants. I also applied to and received a scholarship.

I hope that this certificate is able to give me financial stability where I don’t have to worry about any bills. I hope it also gives me some flexibility being that most medical coding jobs are remote.

Nicole F. (“Disengaged”)

I am 3 weeks shy of 27. I currently work for 3 car dealerships as a guest relations specialist. I do enjoy my job, but never had I imagined selling vehicles. I graduated high school from Centennial High School in 2015. My brother was the first generation on our side of the family to graduate with a degree. Growing up, I never knew what I wanted to be or do. I wasn’t athletic; I was this kind of awkward girl who kind of just navigated the best way she could. At 14, I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder which led me to withdraw from school in the middle of finals. Failing all of my freshman classes, I had to do online school for the remainder of freshman year into the middle of sophomore year to play catch up. I finally went back to school but never joined any clubs or sports. I kind of was just there. Nothing excited me, and I really didn’t have that much support at home. 

I expressed how I wanted to go to college and I had enrolled just to get my prerequisites done. Before I could even finish that sentence, my mom expressed, “You barely can pass high school, what makes you think you can go to college?” At the time I didn’t know what I was capable of. I believed her. So, after I went on to graduate high school, my mother said I needed a job to start supporting myself. I would still be able to live with her, just needed to start being financially independent. So, the whole summer while everyone was moving into their dorms out of town or traveling abroad, I was on Indeed applying for every job you could imagine. Cracker Barrel was my first job. It taught me the value of money and a sense of independence. I would later on just navigate life with many random dead-end jobs. Any time I would express I would want to go to school, I would get bombarded with negative questions. “How are you going to pay your bills?” “You can’t juggle a job and school.” “You’ll never finish.” Here I am, almost 10 years later. I still want to further my education, but I am asking myself those same questions. How AM I going to pay my bills? CAN I finish? I luckily work for an amazing company that values me and my assets I bring to the business but I can’t help but think what it would be like to complete my education. 

Unfortunately, I have no further education past my high school degree, but that doesn’t define who I am. Unlike my 17-year-old self, I know my worth and value, and I know I can do it if I really set my mind to it. To make a long story short, I didn’t really have any support from my family, nor did my school do a good job in educating us on how important state testing /ACTs are. If I had the chance, I wouldn’t have dropped my classes, and in another world, I would be in a social work or mental health field.

William N.M. (“Traditional”)

I come from a low-income, Mexican immigrant community; and there were a myriad of different barriers that were seemingly stacked against us in trying to pursue higher education. The first was, of course, financial barriers. When your family makes less than $20k a year and is supporting a family of five, there really wasn’t any time to be thinking of college. There wasn’t any money to be doing that, and I knew that the only way I was going to be able to attend college is to get scholarships, because financial aid was not going to be enough and loans were difficult to get too, especially given my parents’ precarious situation when it comes to federal student aid. Thus, this was the first barrier I continued. The second [barrier] was trying to work and do school, given that I needed to help my parents out with something, such as groceries, or gas. Thus, not being able to give my 100 percent at school, made it 10x more difficult to get access to opportunities that were merit-based (SAT awards, or any awards that were based on merit), further compounding my situation.

I have had the privilege of being awarded numerous scholarships that provided me the opportunity to further my education. Had it not been for these scholarships, there would have been no possible way to afford college. I was fortunate enough to be able to do school choice during high school (which allows public education funds to follow students to the schools or services that best fit their needs) and was able to attend an early college program, that has allowed me to take classes for free, along with a wonderful support team of teachers and counselors. It was always emphasized by my family that we should try to obtain an education, but it didn’t play such a pivotal role as other things. Having been able to go to college with financial support, allowed me to have time to make opportunities to do stuff I’m passionate about, instead of being a dishwasher or a housekeeper.

I am currently in a four-year college, getting a bachelor’s degree, but prior to that, I went to a community college to take the prerequisites and get a lot of the general education requirements out of the way. 

Knowing that I would be able to massively increase my earning potential by getting a degree is what really pushed me. Trying to get out of poverty and trying to make my culture proud were also the biggest [motivators]. Going to an early college connected me with people that were in places of power, which would not have been possible if I would have maintained the school I was planning to go to. The opportunity turned into an application for scholarships, and these scholarships opened even more doors up.

My hope is to one day become a physician that really understands what it means to grow up in adversity, and be an advocate for others. I want to be able to help dismantle barriers for other people and create a future where no matter who you are, where you came from, or what you want to be, you have the ability to pursue your dreams.

Nieves A. (“Disengaged & Re-engaged”)

After high school, I went to college utilizing a transfer program where I took classes in the summer. I spent two years at community college but did not graduate, and was a couple of  credits short. Throughout college I worked many jobs such as Old Navy, medical offices, Foot Locker, and even worked with Robert Half, a temp agency. I dropped out of college in 2014 after facing financial hardship and a depressive state. I had student debt, and didn’t have anyone who could explain how loans worked or the hardship they caused even if you did not finish your program. The burden of debt, undiagnosed ADHD, and anxiety made things hard and that is when I decided to see a psychiatrist . Therapy and medication also helped me manage my mental health. At first it was hard to focus even on medication due to the stress of having three jobs.  Once I moved to Colorado, I worked in accounting which I taught myself and worked for the Allen Company. Once I became pregnant, I had to quit my job because I had a high risk pregnancy as a type 1 diabetic. I stayed at home and tried to figure out an at-home job. I tried obtaining my bookkeeping certification but I only managed to complete one semester. 

The birth of my son in 2020 inspired me to return to school to set a positive example for him, though challenges persisted. Now, with ongoing psychiatric support, healthy habits, and determination, I continue to navigate my journey despite facing depression, anxiety, and setbacks. 

In 2022, I returned to school. Because I was not employed, finances were a big thing to consider. I went on the Front Range website under “Financial Aid and Grants” which led me to the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI). The grant allows me to pay for tuition, plus a little bit more to cover books and additional school expenses. COSI has not just been a great financial help but I also was given many resources to help me with my journey as a mother going to school. My COSI advisor has been nothing but wonderful– helping me, guiding me, and taking the time to make sure I am equipped with everything I need to succeed. In Florida I was not given this opportunity even with the course they offer freshmen transitioning from high school to college. There were about 5 to 6 counselors for the whole campus I went to and they really did not have time to focus on students until it was too late. The advice given to me through COSI was given to me even before my semester started, giving me a map to that semester and [my] end goals. I received a free laptop from Front Range Community College to do online classes. In addition, I have received support from the state in the form of state healthcare, SNAP benefits, and C-CAmpus, which covers up to 60% of childcare costs.

I’m now currently enrolled in a Health Information Technology program where I hope to finish this fall passing my exams earning the RHIT and medical coding certificates. I hope to help people in the healthcare system, especially those who don’t understand their resources or benefits, how to navigate the healthcare system. While being enrolled in school I have already completed two programs: the Medical Administrative Assistant, and an Application Specialist certification.