Voces Video: Yuridia Soto

Profile

Yuridia is a married 24-year-old student of Mexican descent. She is a first generation U.S. citizen and speaks both English and Spanish fluently. Yuridia attends a public university in South Texas full-time, lives off campus, and works full-time. Yuridia is a main financial provider for her family. She did not graduate from high school, but earned a GED before entering college. Her parents do not have a college education, and her family income is less than $40,000.

College choice
Yuridia dropped out of school when she was 13 but got a GED at the age of 18 because she wanted to go to college. Her husband encouraged her to apply because he knew her dream of getting a college education. She only applied to the one school in the community where she lived and worked. Yuri is married with four kids, so choosing a college where she would have to relocate was not an option.

Paying for college
Yuridia had no idea that she could receive financial aid to go to college, because she had not been to high school or heard about it in college until after her first year. Then she filled out the federal financial aid application (FAFSA) and applied for as many public and private scholarships as she could find. She has received some grants as well as loans (subsidized as well as private loans) to pay for college. Further, when she was pregnant and in school, her husband was hurt and could not work, so she went back to work full-time. She continues working full-time while going to college.

The following is an excerpt from an essay Yuridia submitted about her college experience as a recipient of a Hispanic College Fund scholarship.

I am a twenty-four years old full-time student, mother, and worker. I am still young, but I think, I have accomplished a lot. I had to overcome the physical and mental abuse by my mother, who even banned me from our home one month after she had gotten remarried.

I was just thirteen years old, when I had to drop out of school completing the 7th grade only. However, at the age of 18, I passed the test for my GED and could enroll at the University of Texas at Brownsville. Now I am pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Accounting. Right now, I am in my ninth full-time semester, and my short term goal is to achieve A’s in all my classes. I want to make my long time goal of going to law school come true. That is why I want to graduate with the highest grade point average possible.

Getting good grades is not easy, but the hardest thing I ever accomplished was being a good mother and student at the same time. My family is the most important thing to me. I have been married for eleven years and we have four children who I dearly love.

Moreover, I am determined to reach all of my academic and personal goals. And my strongest motivation is my family; my children and my husband are the most important persons in my life. Moreover, they believe in me. My children are not an obstacle; they are my motivation!

Let me also mention that I do volunteer work, which I love because it gives me the feeling of having made a difference in the lives of others for the past year. My children are accepting and are supporting me in my work at the Odyssey Healthcare Center, where I currently give companionship to terminally ill people.

Among my academic achievements I have been listed on the 2004 and spring 2005 UTB Dean’s List, been honored by being nominated the last two years for the All-American Scholar Award, the National Dean’s List Award, the Chancellor’s List Award, and the National Collegiate Business Merit Award. In 2006 and 2007, I received the International Scholar Laureate Delegation of Business Award, was named Who’s Who among Students, and received the STARS and HCF Scholarships. A personal high point was that I was one of twenty selected scholars, out of 600 recipients from the HCF Scholarship, to be invited to a paid trip to Washington D.C. for the 13TH Annual Awards Gala and Leadership Development Program in October 2006! I am excited because, this July, I was also nominated to attend a paid trip to AKPsi’s Leadership Convention that will be held in Morgantown, Indiana.

As proud as I am of myself for having reached my academic and personal goals, I am most proud of having been able to manage being a full-time student, and worker, and most importantly being a full-time mom and loving wife!