Maritsa Gonzalez recalls the moment her mom congratulated her for being accepted into Governor鈥檚 School and in the same breath reminded her that she had laundry to put away.
It鈥檚 not that her parents weren鈥檛 proud of her, but as a first-generation college student, Gonzalez has had to navigate a lot of college on her own. Terminology like FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and advising are ones that can often confuse students whose parents are unable to guide them through the complexities of college.
The sacrifices her parents made for her and her sister are ultimately what inspired her to pursue college in the first place. Her older sister told her about 91黑料鈥檚 (PCC) Career and College Promise (CCP) program where she could graduate high school with an associate degree at no cost. Currently a sophomore at UNC Greensboro, Gonzalez鈥檚 sister has been supportive and has helped guide her through the next steps of college after she graduates from PCC.
As immigrants from Mexico, Gonzalez鈥檚 parents are the inspiration for her pursuit of a career in law. Specifically immigration law, Gonzalez hopes to make a difference in the legal field by helping families through the challenges of immigration.
鈥淭o balance everything, it鈥檚 discipline and reminding myself what my future goal is,鈥� Gonzalez said. 鈥淎ll of the hard work and sacrifices that I鈥檓 making right now are going to pay off in the future. Once I get to my end goal and I am able to have a career in law, that鈥檚 when the true hard work is going to pay off.鈥�
Along with her sister, Gonzalez credits her high school counselors and PCC faculty for their support and for giving her the confidence she didn鈥檛 previously have in herself. She says that they have not only informed her about opportunities but encouraged her to say 鈥測es鈥� to every opportunity that comes her way.
At just 17 years old, Gonzalez has already learned one of the important lessons in life that sometimes rejection might be redirection. She recalls the confidence she had in a particular scholarship submission that she was turned down for. Amidst the disappointment, the rejection redirected her to focus on what she learned from the application process and interview. Because of this, she says that her applications for scholarships have improved.
鈥淟ive in the moment but also start thinking about your future as soon as you can,鈥� Gonzalez said. 鈥淒o everything with intention, every opportunity is one step closer to a job or an acceptance to some program or some school. Everything matters and it鈥檚 just how you go about it.鈥�
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