Some DREAMers make it happen for themselves, but sometimes others have to take the wheel and make it happen for themselves, even as their circumstances are holding them back. Yesica Calderon is a 4.8 GPA, student-athlete who was struggling to get into college because of her immigration status. All that changed on Tuesday (April 25).
The high school senior was surprised by a room full of family, classmates, teachers, her coach and the press, as she was presented with the life-changing announcement.
“Don’t give up, You can do it. You have a purpose in life. You have a purpose. And you should not feel down, don’t feel less than because you don’t have the same opportunities,” the high school senior tells the audience of familiar faces as she receives the announcement of her scholarship. “Reach out for those, look for those.”
The student-athlete applied to colleges and was offered very little financial aid. Due to her immigration status, she was unable to apply for federal loans. Calderon attested: “Some nights I would cry, not knowing what I would do with my future.”
Thankfully, the Boston Scholar Athletes and Regis College alleviated that stress by offering Calderon a full four-year ride to the school, joining the class of 2021.
Calderon expresses that without this scholarship, she “probably would not have been able to afford college at all.”