Student Success Stories

How did GRASP help you?

Grasp Advisors helped me complete my FAFSA form because I had special circumstances that required extra assistance. It was a relief to have someone understand my struggle and help me overcome the fear of becoming financially burdened for attempting to better my education.

What are you doing now?

I am transferring to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte this fall and will continue to study theater. One piece of educational advice I would give students in general is to build community. I think isolation can be academic death.

What advice would you give to high school students?

School is not something that is easy, and being a young adult comes with a lot of challenges. It is important to have organizations like Grasp to help navigate through the logistics of attending college, as well as academic advisors and likeminded students and friends. Going to school is not an individual experience. The opportunities to meet and connect with a variety of people are very important to the college experience. Even if you feel alone in what is going on in your life, it’s important to overcome that and connect with others. It’s ok not to know everything, and sometimes not knowing gives you the chance to meet amazing people.

Did you face any challenges on your educational journey?

The biggest challenge I faced in my educational path was finding a balance between school, work, and my physical and emotional wellbeing. There have been semesters where I overloaded myself and felt really unhappy. Even though I was doing the things that I loved, I didn’t give myself enough rest. If we want our bodies and minds to last us a long time, we have to take care of ourselves. A lot of students have really bad sleep and eating schedules, and it’s important to understand that academic success does not define you as a person.