PORTLAND, Ore. — College Possible a Portland non-profit has been assisting low-income high school students navigate their college careers for the last 10 years.
Salvador Garcia-Lopez, a recipient of the program, was only a junior at Reynolds High School when he first heard about the program.
Garcia-Lopez was born in Portland but lived in Mexico throughout his childhood. He said he always had dreams of going to college but didn't know where to start.
"I showed up to the info session, learned that I was eligible to apply since I was low income and met the GPA requirement and wanted to go to university," Garcia-Lopez said.
The program helps students with entrance exams, campus tours and applying for financial aid. Each student is assigned to a mentor — someone who is a recent college graduate who helps the students navigate their college experience.
Garcia-Lopez said it can be hard for immigrant families to get their kids to university. He was the first in his family to graduate from college.
"I just want to use this spotlight to inform Latino families that there's more that we can do," Garcia-Lopez said. "Where we are from should not determine what we can do in life."
The College Possible program recruits students from 14 partner high schools across Oregon. It has partnerships with a dozen colleges in the state as well.
The majority of students are first generation according to College Possible Executive Director Emielle Nischik. Over 70 percent of the students they help are of color and come from low-income families.
"We're really looking at increasing the college graduate rate and all of the benefits that come with earning a college degree for kids that come from low income backgrounds," Nischik said.
Garcia-Lopez is now working with College Possible and helping students who came from similar backgrounds as himself.
"Being able to provide the same resources to students in my community is definitely a huge factor that brought me back to College Possible," Garcia-Lopez said.
College Possible is a non-profit and if people want to donate, they can do so here.