This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HSFstories #cbias#CollectiveBias Here I’m sharing my story and information on how Latin American students can benefit from scholarships ranging from $500 to $5,000 from the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and how students can apply. 

 

Just think… “Tomorrow is a blank page waiting to be filled.” It’s exciting and a little intimidating all at the same time. Do you remember when you were just starting out? I mean, when you graduated high school and you had your whole life ahead of you? What were your dreams?

Follow Your Dreams

I graduated high school with the hopes of becoming an Account Executive at an ad agency someday. I’d spent some time in Atlanta and had the remarkable privilege of interning at an ad agency there. The only trouble with pursuing a college education was the expense. My mom was a single working mom with three daughters, and my hopes of attending a private university were more than our family could afford.

Switching from a private university to a public university, along with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund made college more affordable and helped me get one step closer to my dreams.

If you know a Latin American student who wants to go to college, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund is now accepting applications for the Fall term. Click here to apply to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.

College Dreams can come true with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund

A state school was my best option for college, and thankfully, due to good grades and extracurricular activities, I was able to secure a scholarship from the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. Being a Hispanic Scholarship Fund recipient meant I could focus on being a college student and not have to take a part time job to help pay for school during my four years at a state university. It also provided some relief for my mom, who had two other girls to think about when it came to our family’s expenses.

Thanks to the assistance of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, I was able to afford college and my mom was able to have enough room in the budget to send my sisters to state universities to pursue their dreams as well. I am so thankful for companies like Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. who have partnered with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund to make college dreams a reality for hundreds of Latin American High School graduates across the United States. Students can Apply HERE to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.

A College Degree Opens Doors

While I realize college may not be for everyone, it has certainly opened doors for me. Having a college degree enabled me to secure a career at a Fortune 500 company and achieve a managerial position overseeing a team of eight. After 15 years of working in a professional office, I left the corporate working world when I gave birth to our firstborn son, a preemie infant born at 30 weeks.

I’m a strong believer in completing a college degree and I think college is important for the Latino community. It is, in fact, important to every community in my book.

A college education opens a world of possibilities for individuals seeking careers in technology, communications, the sciences, medicine, and more.

College Educated Latinas

Our family has greatly benefitted from the completion of our college degrees – we can now pursue our passions with the proper training and backgrounds to be successful. My youngest sister has a medical degree and now performs cancer surgery to save people’s lives. My other sister is an attorney, and is making health care reforms at a hospital in her local community. I have an MBA in International Business and I run a small online company called HappyandBlessedHome.com, and I’m the Chief Operating Officer of a four person household including my husband and two boys. Dreams really do come true!

Inspire Future Generations

You can help future generations of Latinas and Latinos pursue their dreams by letting them know about the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.

Originally published Feb. 24, 2016