Students

When Nancy Legra-Garcia left her native Cuba to come to the United States, she was looking for new opportunities. But moving meant that she would have to leave her family of origin behind. “I was an accountant looking for new hopes and dreams,” she says. When the economic crisis of 2008 left her unemployed, “I understood that this was my opportunity to show courage and a positive attitude,” she recalls. “I wanted my daughter to learn that we can only reach our dreams if we really fight for them.” Continue Reading

Working as a waitress at a diner gives Jeanette Bova many opportunities to interact with the public, but she’d like to be serving up learning, not breakfast. A lifetime spent devouring books led her to believe that she might just have what it takes to be a teacher, so she found her way to University College. “Academia has really evolved into a more satisfying learning process since the days I had to go to school,” she says. For now, waitressing pays the bills, but her ultimate goal is to “attain a more satisfying career—preferably one where I couldn’t care less about how you want your eggs,” she quips. Continue Reading

When Karima Akins finished kindergarten at a Syracuse elementary school, she was bursting with confidence and a love of learning. But first grade in a new school district almost broke her spirit. She began to struggle academically, and when her parents insisted she be tested for learning disabilities, some significant issues were identified. “The day I found out I had a learning disability it felt like the world crushed me into pieces,” she recalls. Continue Reading

As a young widow with six children, Elaine Sartwell found it necessary to “recreate” the future she had envisioned before her husband died. “I had always wanted to go to school, but let that dream fall by the wayside as I raised my children,” Sartwell says. Years later, after working in the human services field, Sartwell says she felt “trapped at the front line without a qualifying degree to apply for higher positions.” So she enrolled at community college, earned an impressive GPA, and was invited to transfer to Syracuse University. “I wasn’t sure if SU was out of my league, but was delighted to find out I was accepted into the Social Work program with an Achiever Scholarship from University College.”  Continue Reading

Casey Thompson Cecile is a graduate of Syracuse University, a small business owner, and a committed advocate for the environment. Before attending Syracuse University through University College, Casey was working 60 hours a week at three minimum-wage jobs. Casey realized the only way to avoid the trap of low-paying jobs was to get an education. She learned about the Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) at University College of Syracuse University. The opportunity to obtain a college education seemed almost surreal, but Casey looked into it anyway. Continue Reading