“I have been met with widespread support and I could not be more thankful for what this country, state, and city have done for my faith, confidence and future. I thank God for having found my truest passion of all—science.”
In 2015, College Visions student Lisbeth stepped on a stage at Rhode Island College (RIC) to introduce President Obama. Lisbeth shared with the audience her story of being a high school student and a recent immigrant from Guatemala. Meeting the President was a well-deserved honor for Lisbeth. But this moment almost never happened.
When Lisbeth joined CV she had endless talent but she was undocumented. In 12th grade, the implications of her immigration status became real and she thought her future was a dead end. Lisbeth’s grades dropped and she missed appointments at CV.
The CV staff put together a plan to reach out to Lisbeth and her family until she reconnected. You believe in students like Lisbeth. As a result, they see college not as a dream, but as a reality. With this persistent help, Lisbeth completed her college applications and earned an acceptance letter from Rhode Island College!
Lisbeth is taking advantage of all the opportunities available to her as a young scientist. She also has her green card and can receive financial aid. Lisbeth is thriving as a Biochemistry major and she is building her skills working in a campus research lab. That’s why when the President recently came to town to speak at RIC, Lisbeth was invited to provide the opening remarks. Representing women in STEM fields and first-gen students, Lisbeth said:
“I have been met with widespread support and I could not be more thankful for what this country, state, and city have done for my faith, confidence and future. I thank God for having found my truest passion of all—science.”
Low-income and first-generation need extra support in order to thrive in college and earn a degree, and Lisbeth gets that support. Her CV advisor regularly meets with her on the RIC campus. With the guidance of her CV advisor, Lisbeth got her job in a research lab and is building career skills. She also gets assistance filling out her FAFSA and she has access to CV’s Emergency Grant program in case of financial hardship. Lisbeth has achieved against the odds, and that’s why she was chosen to share her inspiring story with the President. And with your support, Lisbeth will soon be on stage again—this time to accept her diploma!
LISBETH will graduate with the Rhode Island College class of 2017.
