First Graduate

Name: Kelly Jimenez
Age: 18
Hometown: San Francisco
College you'll be attending in the fall: City college of San Francisco
Intended major: Sociology

Q: What made you want to go to college?
A: My parents never finished high school. Seeing them struggle to make a living and provide for my younger brother and I motivated me to go to college. I don’t want to work a lot and get paid very little. I want to have a job I enjoy and going to college will help me get that.

Q: Who most influenced your decision to go to college? 
A: My parents are a big influence on my decision because they always told me since I was 10 that the only way to be successful is to go to college and graduate. It will open doors for me, and I’ll have so many opportunities they couldn’t have.

Q: Did your high school teachers encourage you to go to college/ensure you were on a college track? 
A: Two of my high school teachers always encouraged me and stressed how important going to college was. They would tell me that college is a great experience that I’ll learn so much more and that right now people with a college education are needed.

Q: What do schools need to do to put more students on the college track?
A: Telling students why going to college is important and how beneficial it is. Having people to talk to, and people they can relate to will also help. In high school, when we’re confused we just need someone to talk to about our future.

Q: What are most excited about?
A: What I’m most excited about is the new environment that I’ll be exposed to. College and high school are two different environments - the people and the teachers will be different. The new classroom environment and the new subjects are what I’m looking forward to as well.

Q: What are you most worried about?
A: I’m mostly worried about the teachers and the amount of schoolwork they’ll give how organized I’ll be. It’ll be a lot more than what I’m used to and I don’t know how I’ll react to the change.

Q: Is your college doing anything to ensure that you're successful once you get on campus?
A: There are resources but they won’t be behind me telling me to do work or score high on test. I know that students get warnings and get academic probation if they get lower than a 2.50 GPA. It’s all up to the student - if we need anything we have to go and find those resources.

Q: Do you have a support network already in place to help you not just get to college but do well and graduate?
A: Yes, I do I know a few students and a few people who run programs it’s just up to me to communicate and keep in touch. I hope to broaden my network even more once I start school.