A Family Affair
Coming from a close-knit family of eight, Sally Lopez sees her educational aspirations as realizing a family dream. To help her realize this dream she relied on the KU TRIO Talent Search program, which has been a part of Sally’s family since she started the program in 6th grade. Sally participated in the Talent Search program until she graduated from Sumner Academy of Arts and Sciences in Kansas City Kansas Public Schools (KCKPS) in 2017. She is currently enrolled at Kansas City Kansas Community College (KCKCC) and has her sights set on a career in elementary education. “A college degree means everything to me because my parents came to the United States for more opportunities for us.”
As a Talent Search alumnus, Sally, reflected back on her experiences with the program. She recalled middle school field trips with the program that started the conversation about college. “It’s never too early to be thinking about your future.” These experiences allowed Sally to take college from an abstract concept to an achievable goal. Sally warmly recalled being selected by the program to travel to Chicago for a college visit. She said, “My family was very proud of me, to receive that kind of recognition was really important to me.”
In addition to early college exposure, Talent Search works with students to help them academically prepare for college. Talent Search services include, academic, career, and college workshops, mentoring, advising, financial aid and scholarship assistance, college visits, STEM activities, college admissions assistance, family events, summer camps, and the Youth Enrichment Seminar (YES) Scholars Program. Sally said she remembers friends who did not have a support system like Talent Search, and as a result, struggled to prepare and pay for college admissions exams and application fees. Talent Search helps students secure fee waivers to cover the cost for college applications and the ACT assessment. Sally said one of the most beneficial aspects of the program was assistance preparing for the ACT. “We don’t always have the resources to get, like, an ACT tutor. All of it was new territory. So, Talent Search’s role was to make sure that I got the information that I needed to succeed and to get into college.”
Sally said that Talent Search also helped her and her parents complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), as well as connected her with scholarship opportunities, which have helped her pay for college. Talent Search partners with KCKCC to offer the YES Scholars Program. As a YES Scholar, Sally received a YES Scholarship, which provides two years of financial assistance to attend KCKCC.
As a result of her experience with the Talent Search program, Sally has decided to dedicate her future career to making sure all students have every opportunity to succeed. As a future teacher, she hopes to be a positive role model for students from similar backgrounds. After earning her college degree Sally hopes to return to the Kansas City area. “My plan has always been to work in underserved communities. My dream has always been to work here in USD 500 [Kansas City Kansas Public Schools].”
*Students are selected to participate in the YES Scholars program in 8th grade based on academic requirements. Students who are selected for this program receive a two-year scholarship to attend KCKCC.
