Brooklyn, UNCG Student, Class of 2023

I grew up not thinking college was an option for me, coming from a lower-middle-class family. If my family could barely afford to put food on the table for two parents and three kids, how would college even be possible? However, during high school, I was introduced to dual enrollment, which allowed me to take community college classes during high school for only $25. Suddenly, a door was opened, and I was given a new world to dive into. Eventually, I got to “climb the ladder”, and through hard work, scholarships, and some luck here and there, I’ve been able to go from a 15-year-old who never dreamed of college and stared longingly at art but could only draw things resembling a kindergarten art class, to graduating this semester with a BFA and applying to graduate school to help other people like me realize college is a possibility.