“Growing up in a rural area, there were not a lot of people who were also Hispanic,” explains Olivia.
However, that changed during high school when Olivia was recommended to participate in the Indiana Latino Institute program, which offers coaching and mentoring to work with Latino students and their parents to guide them towards post-secondary success. Through her involvement in the ILI program, Olivia was able to apply and be chosen to receive a college scholarship through the Indiana Latino Institute.
“I just feel happy and proud I was recognized by the Indiana Latino Institute,” says Olivia.
Olivia had her choice of colleges due to her academic excellence, but decided that Indiana University South Bend was the place for her.
“There are high quality programs here,” says Olivia. “I can save money and stay close to my family while in school.”
Since Olivia took coursework during high school that earned her college credits, she is already on the fast track to graduating early with her bachelor’s degree in social work, and plans to complete her master’s degree right after. Although she has not decided her exact career just yet, she is set on using her social work education to advocate for children.
“Social work is a broad umbrella related to advocacy. Not knowing what exactly I want to do just yet, it’s a really good starting point,” explains Olivia. “I could go into a healthcare environment, work with children with the Indiana Department of Child Services or be a therapist. I could help a variety of people and that’s really intriguing to me.”
