A voice that says “Keep going”.
What type of support did you receive in your transition from high school to college?
CARA College Bridge coach support followed me in the summer after graduating. You [Pamela] were checking up on me and other students, that was amazing. The dedication you put into students is not just a job but it’s a connection that stays with you. I appreciate it. You got me through it.You were an inspiration. I was like ‘I wanna do what Pamela is doing, working and helping others, while being in college and getting good grades.’ When I wanted to give up my freshman year in college or when things got hard, I heard your voice in my head saying ‘Keep going.’
For me specifically when I came here, I was new to the country, new to school, new to college, I feel like having a College Bridge Coach to help me through the college process made it so much easier and I could honestly say I would not have known how to apply to college without your help.
Tell us about your college experience.
There was a college fair I attended with lots of colleges being brought to my attention and I saw John Jay and immediately fell in love. Ever since I got to this country, John Jay was my dream school because I wanted to study criminology and in my country they don’t have that available. When I came here I fell in love with it and never felt the need to change my mind. I went in-person for my first year of college and then have been remote since. It’s hard to know you’re graduating and you don’t have those peers to celebrate with from classes you’ve taken on campus. I did get to travel to other countries and places during school which was a benefit of being remote. With everything going on, I almost dropped out this semester from all the pressure, but John Jay College and my advisor were very helpful in keeping me going. I’m happy I got through it.
ACE also really got me through the process of college. Because of their training, I didn’t have a hard time transitioning to online after my freshman year. While it was a little difficult, they teach you how to manage your time, make your schedule, and support traveling and finding internships. Going through college has been easier having ACE. It’s like having another community with my advisor and my ACE peers.
Considering your own post-secondary experiences, what’s one piece of advice you would offer students currently going through the process?
Look for help and accept it! Many of us when we start looking for colleges, we think we’re adults and we’re ready to fend for ourselves and end up failing. It is important for us to look for help prior to making decisions to benefit us.
What are your plans after graduating college?
At first I wanted to go to the FBI Academy. But in the meantime, I am currently applying for an organization that dedicates themselves to do investigations of organized crimes all over Latin America. I want to travel with them and work with them to investigate those crimes all over so I can make connections and gain experience before applying for Quantico.