![]() Paired with a Pivotal coach, Latif finally found his stride. The real turning point came at De Anza College. But he was determined, and with hard work, graduated from high school. Being far from home and getting used to a new culture made him feel isolated and confused. In the beginning, he was behind in school and struggling to get by. ![]() Of his first two placements, Latif says simply, “They weren’t a match.” When relatives in New York refused to take him in, he entered foster care. Alone and unprepared, he spent days in a California detention center. Family conflict forced Latif to flee his native country, Ghana, at age 16. Not long ago, planning for his future felt impossible. Latif already knows a lot about the law for a college student But, his introduction didn’t happen in the classroom. With an associate's degree hanging on his wall and a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from California State University, Long Beach in the works, Latif is aiming for the real prize: a law degree. “I don’t know what I would have done without all the support from Pivotal. “I was so happy, I cried tears of joy,” she says. She says, "I always wanted to be a doctor, and after my STEM internship, I'm sure it's what I want to do!"ĭenisse is on her way to creating the life she wants for herself. That's when she got a glimpse of her future. When she completed the STEM workshops, she received her very own laptop which came fully loaded with Microsoft Word, Powerpoint and Excel.ĭenisse started working with a Pivotal coach who helped her get a summer internship at Kaiser. She learned coding, robotics, and website design, as well as professional development skills like how to write a strong resume and interview for a job. Denisse didn’t know what to expect, but the self-described science buff dived right in. ![]() A friend suggested she tag along to a Pivotal STEM workshop. She kept her dreams alive, even though life constantly whittled away at them. She endured many years of abuse before entering the foster care system. Life hasn’t always been easy for Denisse. And as a biology major at San Francisco State, she’s well on her way. “I’m confident in myself and I know I can get good grades and do what I put my mind to,” she said with a smile.įor as long as she can remember, Denisse has wanted to be a pediatrician. ![]() Today, Monserrat’s incredible resilience and determination have led her to a leading university where she plans to study communications with a possible business angle. My coach always checked up on me and understood what was going on in my life and that I needed to take care of myself first,” she said. “Even when I first met the staff, they didn’t have preconceived ideas about me as a foster youth. “With Pivotal, there was no judgment and I didn’t feel like I was being labeled as a victim,” explained Monserrat. With the support and guidance she received from Pivotal, Monserrat was able to build confidence, make education her #1 priority, and set her sights on attending a four-year university. Monserrat’s social worker connected her to Pivotal. Over the next three years, she moved schools frequently, a total of seven housing placements. It was her sophomore year during the holidays she didn’t have family to turn to and entered the foster care system. When Monserrat was 15 years-old her mother passed away suddenly. I knew I couldn’t let things distract me and had to stay focused on school,” Monserrat reflected. Education and what you’re learning in the classroom is the base to everything else you want to do. “Seeing my whole family struggle made me think I don’t want to be struggling. Her brother dropped out of high school his senior year, her sister graduated but started working immediately after, and her mom was trying to pursue a cosmetology degree while providing for her family. Although Monserrat’s mom encouraged her kids to pursue higher education, the realities of making ends meet in the Bay Area made it tough. Her love of learning was passed down from her mom who always placed great value on education. A first-generation college student, she will make her dreams a reality when she attends UC Santa Barbara this fall! Monserrat is very education-oriented, a lover of learning and school.
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