Enrolled in approximately 400 colleges, universities and technical centers across the state are more than 1.5 million college students. These students share similar goals, but will undoubtedly take different paths to get there.
That’s why we are excited to introduce “The Pathway Series: Stories of Florida Students and Their Journey Through College.” Over the course of the next year, FCAN will chronicle the diverse collegiate experiences of four Florida students to learn about their goals, ambitions, successes and setbacks.
Today’s college students are vastly different in their backgrounds and experiences. It is increasingly common for students to be the first in their family to attend college, hold a full-time job or have a family to support. By chronicling these four students, we hope to illuminate some of the challenges we must overcome to ensure all students have the opportunity to achieve their goals and be successful.
Starting tomorrow, we will begin to tell the stories of Florida students who share an ambition to further their learning and better themselves. The students will include a retired Army sergeant, a first-generation college student from Mexico City, an honors student pursuing a bachelor’s degree 20 years after dropping out of high school, and a former foster youth who previously dropped out of college to care for an ailing relative.
Future profiles will appear in FCAN’s blog and will be accessible through links provided in this post.
Be sure to check back throughout the year to read these students’ stories.
Melissa Shank: Part 1 I 2 I 3 I 4
Jeremiah Espersen: Part 1 I 2 I 3 I 4
Cristina Cruz: Part 1 I 2 I 3 I 4
Destiny Jedlicka: Part 1 I 2 I 3 I 4