MEET YASMEEN
Yasmeen Odeh is a student of Bottom Line and is looking forward to the next chapter in her life – college.
This fall she will be attending the University of Illinois, Chicago, where she has received a full ride. There she will study health sciences to ultimately become a pediatric nurse.
Yasmeen heard about Bottom Line at her high school. She’s an active member of her school community, participating in dance clubs all four years. One of the things she’s going to miss most about high school is performing.
“I’ve always wanted to go to college. I want my mom to be proud of me. I want to be something,” said Yasmeen.
Despite her motivation for higher education, the confusing process was an obstacle for her.
“If I wasn’t in Bottom Line I wouldn’t be going to college. I would’ve been so lost.” At Bottom Line, Yasmeen found a network of people who worked with her to help her get organized and focused. Her advisors guided her through the process – empowering her to take her future into her own hands.
She’s excited for college as well as nervous. UIC is a large school which will be an adjustment for her. But she’s optimistic and looking forward to building a network of peers who will be able to offer her new perspectives as well as support each other through new experiences.
She’d like to work with children, comforting and encouraging them. “I don’t want to just be their nurse. I want them to know they’re safe and that they have somebody. As long as I get to do that I’ll be happy.”
MEET JACQUELINE
Jacqueline Aguila is a student who is pursuing her lifelong dream of becoming an optometrist.
“Since I was a little girl I have always been interested in optometry. I want to study biology so I can set myself up to go to medical school.”
Jacqueline learned about Bottom Line at school and decided to sign up. Here she has found a network of support.
“It is very important that I set time outside of school and create space to meet one-on-one with advisors.”
At school, she found that her guidance counselor wasn’t able to give her the time or guidance she needed to feel secure in pursuing a postsecondary degree. Setting time aside to specifically explore her options and create a plan gave her a sense of control over a process that felt unwieldy at times.
Jacqueline hasn’t yet made a final decision about where she’s going. Her advisor has given her all the information about her options, and now it is time for her to sit down with her parents to make a decision together.
Wherever she ends up, she is looking forward to the opportunity to explore academically. Through studying biology, Jacqueline hopes to learn more about different fields that she didn’t know she was interested in.
She is also looking forward to challenging herself – academically and socially – and giving herself space to grow.
MEET DANI
Dani is a student of Bottom Line and is at the very beginning of her college journey. A journey that will allow her to earn a degree in political science and poise her to pursue law school. Dani dreams of one day working with the community of undocumented immigrants in the United States. She aims to educate this community on their rights, as well as advocate for them in policy decisions.
This fall she will be attending the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
She’s an involved member of her school community – playing trombone in the marching band, running with the cross-country team, and working on the robotics team.
Dani heard about Bottom Line through a supporter whose family she babysat for. When she first came to Bottom Line, Dani was feeling unsure and apprehensive about the college process. She knew she wanted to attend but didn’t know where to start. Her parents immigrated to the U.S. from Baja California, Mexico and were also unsure of the college admissions process.
“My parents have never gone through the college process in the U.S. I don’t know what I’m doing sometimes. Bottom Line helps advise me about what my options are. Any question I have I can text them and they give me guidance to make it happen,” said Dani.
During her first few meetings, Dani and her advisor laid out a plan that included timelines and goals. “Having these dates made everything less stressful. I could take it a bit at a time, and feel in control,” she said.
When it was time to work on personal statements, she didn’t feel like she got the support she needed from school. “After working on it a few hours, that was it! I thought, ‘this statement is going to represent me to colleges I want to attend. I need it to be perfect.’”
Dani and her advisor worked tirelessly to get her statement to a place where she felt comfortable to submit, going through revision after revision until she felt confident.
When she received her acceptance letter, Dani and her family celebrated. “My parents and my brother are so proud,” she said. Her brother is 11, and she tries her best to be a role model for him. “I want to set an example for my brother so he can see that you can do anything you set your mind to.”
Dani’s parents made a big sacrifice for her and her brother.
“My mother wanted to be a special education teacher, but she moved to the U.S. for my brother and me, and I think that’s something I’ll never be able to repay her for. My parents left everything to give me a better chance. I am very grateful for my parents, and I want to honor them and the opportunities they have given me by going to college.”
Someday Dani plans to work with undocumented immigrants. She’s seen how a lack of understanding of rights makes this community particularly vulnerable, and she wants them to feel secure in their rights with an understanding of the immigration system in the U.S.
Dani’s success is not only her own, but it is also her family’s and her community’s. She has set an example for her brother and will be encouraging her younger cousin to apply to Bottom Line as well.
MEET LIZ
Liz Morales is a student of Bottom Line with dreams to encourage girls in elementary and middle school to become involved and interested in the STEM field. For Liz, that dream begins with a degree in computer science from the University of Illinois, Chicago.
Throughout her educational career, she has participated in STEM clubs. When she was younger, she often felt out-of-place. “I felt left out because I didn’t have a lot of girls around me. I think if girls were encouraged and given a little push, they would continue to pursue careers in STEM.”
For sophomore and junior year of high school, Liz spent most Saturdays working with girls from the middle school on STEM-related projects. She found their excitement motivating and inspiring.
Liz came to Bottom Line initially for help on her college essay. But what she got was more than she expected.
“Writing is not my best skill, and I didn’t know how I was going to be able to write an essay that represented me well. When I heard that Bottom Line works on essays with students, I knew I had to sign up. But, Bottom Line has helped me with so much more than that.”
Beyond the rounds of edits with her advisor, Liz also gained a lot of insight into creating a strong college list. “I had some schools in mind, but I didn’t know anything about them or if they even had my major. I heard of them through friends and family. Bottom Line helped me condense my list to 10 schools that I would like to go to.”
As acceptance letters started rolling in, Liz was able to lean on Bottom Line again. Her advisor worked with her to figure out the actual cost of each school she was accepted to and helped her make an informed decision.
“At the end, it came down to two schools. UIC just felt like a better fit overall. They have the major I want to study, the cost is going to be really low for my family and me, and they have a diverse campus – so I won’t feel like the only Latina in the room.”
As Liz steps foot onto campus this fall, she isn’t just doing it for herself. One of the reasons she wants to go to college is to help support her family. Liz lives with her parents and two younger brothers. "Gang activity is prevalent in the area we live in, and I worry about my brothers’ futures."
For Liz, a college degree isn’t just a credential for herself. It is an inspiration to her younger brothers, to encourage them to achieve their dreams. For her family, it is an investment in the future. And for girls in her community, it will be a reminder that girls do belong in STEM careers, and can succeed there.