From Mexico to Medicine🏥: Gloria's journey to pursuing a lifelong dream

Gloria at Cañada College's Student Recognition and Achievement Ceremony earlier this month.

Gloria came to the U.S. from Mexico at age 19, driven by two forces that would shape everything that followed: love for her ailing mother, and a lifelong dream of becoming something more.

"When I was growing up, I always wanted to be someone, do something," she says. Her mother's illness made that dream feel distant because her first priority was to work and send money home to help cover medical bills. Education would have to wait.

Over the next several years, Gloria worked in restaurants, cleaned houses, and eventually found her way to babysitting. Through it all, her mother kept encouraging her: "Keep pursuing your dreams."

In 2020, when Gloria was only 28, her mother passed away. The grief was immense, and it took years to find her footing again. But when she did, Gloria heard her mother's voice and decided her time was now.

In 2023, she earned her GED and enrolled at Cañada College. This month, Gloria will graduate with an associate's degree in allied health! "Being a first-generation college student is exciting and makes me so proud."

Her next step is the radiology technology program at Cañada College. From there, her vision is clear: become a licensed Radiology Technologist, earn her bachelor's degree while she works in the field, and pursue additional certifications.

Upward Scholars has been with Gloria every step of the way. Science textbooks alone presented a serious barrier. Her chemistry book cost $200, her anatomy book $150. Without hesitation, Upward Scholars was there to cover them. When Gloria struggled in math and statistics, Upward Scholars connected her with a tutor who wanted to help. She finished the class with over 100%, earning every point of available extra credit.

With the cost of living climbing, Upward Scholars' food and gas assistance has been, in her words, "immensely helpful and a weight off her shoulders." But for Gloria, the support goes beyond the financial.

"I know that I have inner strength," she says. "But when times are especially hard, I know that I am not alone and that Upward Scholars is there. That means so much to me. More than I can put in words."

Transitioning from adult school to community college felt, at first, like stepping into a world she didn't belong in. The cost of textbooks alone sent that message. Upward Scholars changed her trajectory not just by easing financial pressure, but by showing up for her as a person, making a difference she carries into every classroom and, soon, into hospital rooms.

Gloria's mother told her to keep pursuing her dreams. With Upward Scholars' support, she is.

Your gift to Upward Scholars makes this possible for Gloria and for hundreds of other students. Help them Spring Upward by making a gift today.