My name is Aleniad. I am student at Highline College. I’m Mexican and I also identify with American culture since I’ve been living here since I was five years old. My family moved to Washington, it was because things got hard in Florida. The environment wasn’t very welcoming, so coming to Washington felt like a new beginning—a place with opportunities I never saw before. I knew this was the right place for me.
Education has always been important to me, and going to college was a dream. Now, I’m studying nursing, and my goal is to become a nurse, just like my mom dreamed. I think I’d work well under pressure, so I hope to become an ER nurse and eventually a nurse practitioner. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to afford college, but I found out about WASFA, which helps cover tuition for Washington residents. With help from WASFA, I couldn’t afford community college, and I’m so grateful for the opportunities I’ve had here. The diversity, the cultural representation, and all the resources available—those things make me feel like I belong. Community college has been a supportive environment, and I’m really happy with where I am.
As for the cost of college, I know it varies for everyone. WASFA has been a huge help for me, but I still have to rely on my dad when there’s a little extra that financial aid doesn’t cover. I don’t like relying on him for money because I want to be independent, but I know he supports me because he wants me to succeed.
If the first two years of college were free, it would make a huge difference for me and my community. I wouldn’t have to stress as much about how I’m going to afford classes, and I’d be able to focus on my studies. There was a time this summer when I almost had to drop a class because financial aid doesn’t cover as much during the summer. Free college would have relieved that pressure. It would give people like me a chance to save money for when we transfer to universities and plan for the future, and it would mean a lot for my sister when she starts college too. It would truly be a blessing.
Aleniad Vazquez, Federal Way