Growing up in a big, loud family with four older brothers, one older sister, and a bunch of nieces and nephews, I was never really alone. We moved around a lot, but being surrounded by family always made everything feel a little easier, a little more fun.
When I finally started college, I felt awkward and insecure. A lot of students were younger than me, fresh out of high school, and I didn’t quite know where I belonged. I was in between—not really “older,” but not right out of high school either. Even with those feelings, people on campus were kind and welcoming, and that helped me breathe a little easier and feel like maybe I did have a place here.
Everett Community College felt like the right first step. Going straight to a university seemed overwhelming and honestly, pretty scary. I wanted to ease into college, to test out what it felt like to be a student again after years away from school. Since I want to be an elementary school teacher, doing two years at a community college and then transferring felt like a solid, steady plan instead of a huge leap into the unknown.
I know I want to teach elementary school, even if I’m still deciding on the exact grade. My best friend and I always talk about second grade and fifth grade—those are the years that stand out the most from our own childhoods. Lately, I’ve been leaning toward the older elementary grades. It sounds fun, but more than that, I want to be the kind of teacher who advocates for her students, who makes sure their needs are met and that they feel safe in the classroom. I want to be that person where kids say, “If you need help, go to Miss Valentina.”
Higher education matters to me because I believe everyone deserves the chance to learn and keep learning. As humans, we’re always growing, always changing—why stop learning just because we’re out of high school? After being out of school for five years, I noticed how much my own social skills and even my speech had slipped. Coming back to school has helped me reclaim that: the math, the writing, the conversations, the simple act of being in a classroom again. And yes, education helps you access better-paying jobs, but it’s also about becoming more yourself.
Right now, I work at a daycare with toddlers—two-and-a-half-year-olds. It’s chaos in the best way. Before that, I worked for about three years as a behavior technician with children on the autism spectrum. I loved that work too, but it was mostly one-on-one, and I wanted to know what it felt like to be with a whole group of kids. Daycare showed me that my love for teaching never went away. I still want parents to feel like their child is safe with me, that their kid will learn, have fun, and be cared for. That’s all most parents want—and honestly, that’s all I want, too.
When I think about whether college is affordable, my honest answer is no—not really, not for most people. On paper, some people might say it is. But when you actually sit down and look at the numbers, especially from a student’s perspective, it’s a lot. I’m in a situation where I don’t pay rent right now, and even then, when I did the math, I realized I’d be paying over $5,000 in just one year. That shocked me.
I definitely faced financial barriers. After high school, I took five years off, not because I didn’t want to go to college, but because my family and I just didn’t have the money. I got a job, started saving, and quietly let go of the idea of higher education. I told myself, “It’s too expensive. I’ll just find some other job and make it work.” Little by little, that barrier—the cost—erased my motivation to even try.
It wasn’t until this year that something shifted. My best friend’s mom sat me down and reminded me how much I loved working with kids and how much I’d always wanted to be a teacher. She didn’t just talk; she helped me start the process—looking at financial aid, filling out forms, and actually applying. Because of her, I’m here now. That conversation pulled the idea of college back into the light for me, and I’m really grateful for that.
If the first two years of college were free, it would change everything—for me and for so many others. Knowing that I wouldn’t have to worry about tuition for two years would give me so much more motivation to keep going. I could take more classes, explore more, and reconnect with the joy of learning without constantly calculating how much it was going to cost. It would also give me time—two whole years—to save for whatever comes after.
Mentally, it would lift a huge weight. Money can become such a big barrier that it actually kills your desire to learn. You catch yourself thinking, “Why should I pay all this when I could just try to learn online for free?” Free college for those first two years wouldn’t just help logistically; it would help people believe in education again.
When it comes to basic needs, I absolutely think students need support. Everyone’s situation is different, but with today’s costs, those extra resources really matter. For me, the food bank on campus has helped a lot. There were days when I didn’t have lunch or had run out of money, and I knew I could go there and ask for something to eat. That small safety net meant everything on those days. I’ve also seen that there’s a clothing closet for students who need clothes, and I know that’s a big support for many people.
Right now, I’m just really grateful to be here. Grateful that someone reminded me of how much I love teaching. Grateful that there are food banks, resources, and people on campus who actually care. And hopeful that, with more support—like free two-year college, more wraparound services, and strong protections for all students—more people like me will find their way back to the classroom and remember why they loved learning in the first place.