“With all the inequity in our society, organizations like College Visions help level the playing field for so many talented students who deserve to attend college just like their affluent peers.” – Chris Soto, Founding Director of Higher Edge
Chris was first inspired by the work College Visions was doing as a graduate student and CV intern, now he is the Founding Director of Higher Edge in Connecticut where he is helping low-income, first-generation students graduate from college. To know more about Chris, read his interview below!
Could you tell me a little about yourself?
I am from New London, CT and serve as a CT legislator representing the city in Hartford. CT is a part-time (so they say) legislature so I also serve as Higher Edge’s Executive Director. Similar to CV, we work with low-income, first-gen students, helping them get to and through college. I love Salsa music and my guilty pleasure is Spanish Trap.
What is the hardest part about being a lawyer?
The hardest part of my job is balancing both. I really want to do both of them well and it’s tough to balance but I am learning ways to make it happen.
What was your educational journey like?
I was fortunate to attend the U.S. Coast Guard Academy for my undergraduate degree then attended Brown University for my Master’s Degree. I wasn’t the smartest in my class, nor did I have the highest SAT scores so when I met talented students in New London who were getting de-railed in their college journey it motivated me to do something about it and that’s how we started Higher Edge.
What advice do you wish you had as a first-year college student?
Buckle down and take academics seriously. I did terrible my first semester and had to work twice as hard just to recover. While high school may not always prepare you, you have the talent to excel.
What moved you to donate to College Visions (CV)?
I could talk about this for days but the long story short is that CV laid the groundwork for college completion excellence in Connecticut, how cool is that! I am forever grateful for the experience I had interning at CV as a grad student and Higher Edge would not exist today if it wasn’t for CV.
Do you think CV is an important resource to the community and why?
Absolutely! With all the inequity in our society, organizations like College Visions help level the playing field for so many talented students who deserve to attend college just like their affluent peers.
Is there anything else you would like to share or add?
Keep up the great work!
Chris is reaching so many low-income, first-generation students in Connecticut and helping them to reach their goals of degree attainment! We are honored to have been involved in the planning process for Higher Edge and appreciate you taking the time out to do this interview! Thank you for all your support and keep being amazing!
