Just half of all college-qualified students from low-income families enter a four-year college. Many lack role models with college degrees. (The Education Trust)

MEET ALUM WILBER

I first got involved in the Fulfillment Fund my sophomore year at Hollywood High School.

I was still learning English at the time and was placed on the B track. It didn’t take me long to realize that B-track students were not given the same opportunities as other students. And I definitely felt we were not expected to go to college.

I was lucky to be involved in the Fulfillment Fund’s high school program.  I had a terrific Fulfillment Fund instructor. Over the course of our class sessions, she convinced me that college was a very real option. I also went on a Fulfillment Fund college trip back east. I had not been exposed to the college scene before. Seeing students of color on campus, especially at NYU and Columbia really motivated me.

My parents had to go to workshops before my departure. The more they learned about the program the more vivid the picture of me going to college became.

It is hard to pinpoint one particular experience with the Fulfillment Fund that really changed my direction because they bombarded me on all sides with college information and support.

I ended up attending Cal State Northridge and getting my degree in biology. I am now pursuing my masters in microbiology and I hope to go on for my PhD in cellular and molecular biology. While in college, I received a Fulfillment Fund scholarship. It helped me with the purchase of textbooks and academic materials and allowed me to take part in microbiology conferences.

But the Fulfillment Fund didn’t just impact my life. It changed my family’s perception about college. It convinced them that Latinos can succeed academically. Recently, my cousins have been asking me to help them get into college. I tell them to practice for the SAT’s and take more extracurricular activities. I tell them to make sure they have all the required classes and get help writing their personal statements. I tell them there are many resources for financial aid.

Helping them has reminded me of all the things the Fulfillment Fund taught me.

In the beginning, I simply wanted to be fluent in English and have the basic skills to get a decent-paying job. I could not see any other possibilities. The Fulfillment Fund enabled me to look beyond my immediate surroundings and to expand my vision for my future.

I know that it has done the same and more for many other students.