麻豆视频

鈥淏oth my dad and brother have passed. I know that earning a degree will make them proud 鈥� that鈥檚 my biggest goal. In my heart and mind, I know that when I walk down that stage, my dad's going to be watching and thinking, 鈥楾hat's my daughter right there.鈥�

Yesenia Espinoza - First Generation Student at YVC

Celia Uscanga - First Generation Student at YVC

鈥淢y degree symbolizes breaking cycles of adversity and societal gender norms. All the women in my family before me were stay-at-home mothers and wives. I鈥檓 showing my daughter that women can be smart, achieve seemingly impossible goals, and change the world. As a child, I wasn't encouraged to pursue anything outside of being a mother and a homemaker 鈥� but I know now that I can be so much more!鈥�

Courtney Kryger - First Generation Student at YVC

鈥�Earning my degree means more than reaching a milestone 鈥� it is a reclamation. I come from a background where higher education, especially for women, was often seen as unnecessary or even discouraged. When I chose college, I faced doubt and fear from those closest to me. In many ways, pursuing an education meant believing in a future bigger than the one I was handed. It means carving out a path where a woman鈥檚 autonomy, critical thinking and personal growth aren鈥檛 just accepted 鈥� they鈥檙e celebrated. My degree represents every moment I chose growth over fear, and for the future I am building 鈥� not just for myself, but for those who come after me.鈥�

Karina Taylor - 2025 YVC Graduate