CHAPEL HILL (October 21, 2021) – Helping Latinx students prepare for college isn’t just about filling out forms.
It’s also about helping them feel comfortable with themselves. And that’s what Somos Carolina (We Are Carolina) is all about.
“I would describe it as a family – it’s an organization that helped me feel less alone and more comfortable with who I am,” Karina Castañeda Esparza, a sophomore at UNC-Chapel Hill, says in the accompanying video.
Neither of her parents finished elementary school in Mexico – yet as Esparza grew up in Mebane, they emphasized that she must go to college.
“I would see them work 15-hour shifts every day, and they would constantly remind me to focus in school. Receiving a higher education was definitely where they wanted me to be … and that’s why I knew without a doubt that I was going to attend college,” Esparza says.
“LatinxEd has helped me the most by just making me feel proud of who I am and learning about my history and culture,” she says.
“I was not really taught about my Mexican-American history in textbooks or in any of my history classes, and LatinxEd did really well at teaching me about that. And also, they helped my family by hosting workshops for families to feel more engaged and understand how they can support their children during the transition from high school to college.”
Her parents – and Karina – had no idea about the college admissions process. But she had a mentor, Daniela Rodriguez, who helped with applications and the FAFSA1 application.
“They helped my family and I understand things better,” Esparza says.
Now Karina and Daniela are both students at UNC-Chapel Hill.
“It’s just awesome to see her around campus, because there’s still that really strong connection between us – she’s like an older sister to me,” Esparza says. “Now I want to be that person for younger Latinx students.”
Last summer, Esparza worked as a coach in the Semillas Program, a 3-week summer program for rising 9th- to 12th-graders who are part of Somos Carolina.
“I could see in the students’ eyes when I would tell them about my struggles and personal experiences – they’d just like light up,” she says.
1 Free Application for Federal Student Aid: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa.
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