I didn’t think going to college would be possible. But thanks to people willing to invest in me, I’ve been able to overcome great odds and am thriving in college at Heritage University.

I come from a family with two devoted parents who worked the fields and sacrificed everything to support their kids. So college seemed out of the question financially. Even more challenging, I started my own family at age 16 and ended up having to leave high school.

With no experience or education, I found myself in a fast-food job with little or no chance of advancement. That’s when I realized to improve my life—and the lives of my husband and kids—I needed to earn my GED. So I enrolled in the High School Equivalency Program (HEP) at Heritage.

When I took the admissions test, my scores were very low. But thankfully, the HEP director at Heritiage took a chance and let me in the program anyway. I became so determined to succeed, it took me only six weeks to get my GED. I felt such pride, I knew then I wanted to continue my education.

Fortunately, Heritage had donor-funded scholarships available which gave me a chance at success. With the additional economic support, I’m now able to attend college full time while working only part time, which lets me still be a good mom.

Today, I’m a sophomore majoring in Business Administration, and I plan to continue for my Master’s Degree. And I know my kids will grow up realizing the benefits of a higher education for themselves. Heritage truly does change lives.