What We Make Possible

Our Impact | Student Portraits | Alumni Stories | COVID Stories

In honor of our 10th Anniversary, Upward Scholars had the privilege of partnering with award-winning photographer Mark Tuschman to capture students in their environs. His ability to tell a story through portraits provides a lens into the life of just a few of the many tenacious students we collectively support.

Amado

Amado’s story: Amado, an Upward Scholars alum and Upward Scholars Board member, exemplifies the proverbial American dream. Soon after coming to the U.S., Amado got a job earning $8 an hour as a line cook at a Mexican restaurant. He also enrolled in ESL classes at Sequoia Adult School, then started taking more advanced ESL classes at Cañada College. Amado received his Cañada College ESL certificate in 2013 and graduated from Cañada with an Associate’s degree in Engineering in 2016. In June 2019, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and, a month later, began working as a project engineer.

Years in college: Cañada College: 2011 – 2016; Cal Poly San Luis Obispo: 2016 – 2019

Future plans: Amado plans to continue his career as a civil engineer.

Upward Scholars impact: During Amado's tenure at Cañada, he received more than $2,000 in support from Upward Scholars, which paid for his textbooks as well as bus passes that covered the cost of transportation to college. "When I began my journey, the people at Upward Scholars were among the first who believed in me. I will always be grateful for that."

Delmy

Delmy’s story: Delmy’s initial impetus for attending college was her son, Adan. As a toddler, Adan was diagnosed with a severe language delay that meant he could process only one language, and the language Adan chose — which was the language his brothers spoke at home and that he heard at preschool — was English. To improve her English and communicate more easily with Adan, Delmy enrolled in advanced ESL classes at Cañada College. Now, she speaks with Adan almost exclusively in English and no longer needs a translator for parent/teacher conferences. Fully invested in college, Delmy is taking Medical Assisting and Social Work & Human Services courses at Cañada College.

Years in college: 2019 – present

Future plans: Delmy’s goal is to earn degrees in both Medical Assisting and Social Work & Human Services to help people professionally.

Upward Scholars impact: “I only want to say ‘thank you.’ You have made school possible by giving me a laptop and paying for my books. You even gave me a car you received as a donation so I could get to work and take my son to school. How do I explain how much this means to me?”

Isabel

Isabel’s story: Like many female immigrants, Isabel’s first job in the U.S. was cleaning houses. But Isabel had big dreams. Upon completing Cañada College's ESL sequence, she started working towards her certificate in paralegal studies and, soon after, was hired as a legal assistant by the Immigration Institute of the Bay Area, a local nonprofit that provides immigration-related services to residents from low-income backgrounds. Now, Isabel spends her days helping immigrants get legal services similar to those she received when she arrived in this country.

Years in college: 2014 – present

Future plans: Isabel will receive a certificate in paralegal studies in December 2020.

How Upward Scholars helped: “Upward Scholars made my job possible. They paid for my books. They gave me a tutor who helped me with my classes. They got me a laptop, and, finally, they told me about the job at the Immigration Institute and encouraged me to apply. I'm happy because, in my new job, I can help other people the way Upward Scholars helped me."

Josue

Josue’s story: In Mexico, Josue was a chef. In the U.S., he was pleased when he landed a job at Facebook as a prep cook, mostly washing and cutting up vegetables. Knowing that English was a prerequisite for moving up, Josue enrolled in ESL classes at Cañada College and soon after was promoted to line cook. He relies on English to read recipes, talk to his boss, and answer guests’ questions. And, with his new job, he increased his salary by 30 percent. Josue is about a third of the way through Cañada’s ESL sequence and has no intention of stopping now.

Years in college: 2019 – present

Future plans: Josue’s goal is to open a catering business or become an esthetician.

Upward Scholars impact: “Life here is expensive. I have my rent, my car insurance, my cell phone. I need to send money to my family. If I had to pay for my books, maybe I couldn’t continue to study. I might only work. Upward Scholars makes it easy for me to continue my education.”

Luis

Luis’ story: When he arrived in the U.S. from Guatemala, Luis knew no English. He started out taking ESL classes at Belle Haven Library, then enrolled in ESL classes at Sequoia Adult School, and finally transferred to Cañada College. That’s when Luis fell in love with learning. “When I went to Cañada College, it was different. It was a higher level of education than I’d ever experienced. I never dreamed that I would be in a place with such interesting people.” In 2019, Luis earned his PASS certificate, meaning that he had completed English 100, a University of California—level transfer class. With his ESL classes complete, he is taking classes in creative writing, communication, world religions, philosophy, and anthropology. Due to COVID-19, Luis lost his job as a waiter. He applied to the Upward Scholars ¡Habla Más! program and became a certified Spanish language coach. Today, Luis coaches eight Habla Más students, is working at one of the restaurants he worked at previously, and is taking classes remotely this semester — putting him back on track to earn an Associate’s degree and transfer to a four-year university.

Years in college: 2015 – present

Future plans: Luis plans to get his Associate’s degree and transfer to San Francisco State University. He has not yet decided on his field of study.

Upward Scholars impact: “Upward Scholars is like a friend. Every time I get a sandwich or buy a book or use my laptop, it reminds me that someone I don’t know believes in me, that there are good people out there willing to help each other.”

Marta Lily

Marta Lily’s story: On April 12, 2014 – amid threats to her life – Marta Lily fled from El Salvador to the U.S. with her two daughters, aged four and nine. It took nine buses and 13 days to reach the U.S. border. After settling in Redwood City, Marta Lily immediately started taking ESL classes at Sequoia Adult School and then at Cañada College. Though her English skills were limited, she decided to interview for a job as a teacher’s aide at a preschool. “My English was very bad, but I got the job. That was the day that English changed my life.” Since then, Marta Lily has attended college full-time and worked full-time. She is a 10-time Cañada College Dean’s List recipient. In May 2018, she received a certificate in early childhood education and soon after got a job as a preschool teacher. In May 2020, she earned an Associate degree in early childhood education and transferred to San Francisco State University, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education with a minor in special education. Marta Lily’s husband is an Upward Scholars student, and one of their daughters is an Upward Scholars tutor.

Years in college: 2015 – 2022

Future plans: Marta Lily was recently accepted into a Master’s program at SFSU and will start in the fall.

Upward Scholars impact: “Upward Scholars is like a family to me. I know they care about me, they encourage me, and that makes me work harder. I always say to my daughters, ‘If I can study, you can too.’ They see me studying and they know they need to study too. I want them to know that, in the United States, anything is possible.”

Raquel

Raquel’s story: Raquel began dancing at age three and never stopped. Growing up in Mexico, Raquel danced through her childhood. Now, she teaches three weekly Zumba classes at a studio in Redwood City and performs Ballet Folklórico at community events. That is in addition to working full-time as a custodian and taking advanced ESL classes and almost every kind of dance class that Cañada College offers — hip hop, ballet, and salsa. Raquel was our first student to host an Upward Scholars fundraiser — a Zumba class open to Upward Scholars supporters that resulted in more than $500 in donations.

Years in college: 2018 – present

Future plans: Once she completes Cañada College’s ESL sequence, Raquel will begin a major in kinesiology with a focus on dance. Her goal is to open her own dance studio.

Upward Scholars impact: “No one offers help to people like us, to push us to study. When I saw the receipts for my books I knew I would never be able to go to college without Upward Scholars. I know that is true for my classmates too.”

Silvia

Silvia’s story: A native of Mexico, Silvia came to the U.S. when she was 14. She attended high school for a few months, then quit, needing to earn money and frustrated that she didn’t understand anything her teachers were saying. When she was 28, Silvia returned to school to study English, first at Sequoia Adult School and then Cañada College. After completing her ESL classes, she started taking classes in medical assisting, all the while working full-time as a nurse’s aide. Silvia earned a certificate in Medical Assisting in 2018. Soon after, she started working as an optometric assistant and has since been promoted to ophthalmic technician. “Before I had this job, the only thing I knew about vision was that I had two eyes. In a few months, I was performing six different optometry tests. I feel so proud that I can do this job.”

Years in college: 2013 – 2019

Future plans: Silvia is studying for the licensing exam to become a certified ophthalmic technician.

Upward Scholars impact: “Upward Scholars paid for my books. They gave me a laptop. They advised me about my career. I knew they believed in me. And that helped me believe in myself. I always tell my daughter, ‘I want you to see what I have done so you know you can do it too’.”

Yeny

Yeny’s story: When Yeny came to the U.S. from El Salvador at age 17, she couldn’t afford to go to school. Instead, she started working as a house cleaner. She had always been a passionate reader, so, with a dictionary by her side, she began making her way through fiction book series — like Harry Potter and the Divergent Trilogy — in English. Yeny’s thirst for reading paid off: When she took Cañada College’s ESL placement test, she placed in the final class in Cañada’s rigorous ESL sequence. The following semester she aced English 100 (college freshman English). Yeny is currently taking the general education classes she needs to earn an Associate’s degree while working full-time as a nanny.

Years in college: 2018 – present

Future plans: Yeny plans to transfer to a four-year university in 2022. An avid pianist, her goal is to become a music teacher.

Upward Scholars impact: Yeny has two Upward Scholars tutors, one for math and one for humanities. "Because I didn’t have the chance to go to high school to learn English, everything is so much harder for me. But I’ve never wanted English to get in the way of reaching my goals. Thankfully, my tutors explain everything in a way I can understand, so I do better in class. I’ve been on the Dean’s list three times. That wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t have amazing tutors to help me.”

Alejandro

Alejandro’s story: Talk about a comeback kid — in high school, Alejandro was a self-professed slacker, rarely attending class and goofing off when he did. He dropped out of school when he was a senior so he could support his new baby. But three years later, he turned his life around — he enrolled in Sequoia Adult School to work toward his high school diploma. After graduating, he enrolled in the College of San Mateo and received a scholarship from Upward Scholars. Alejandro left college after a year, deciding instead to pursue his dream of becoming a police officer. He graduated from the Santa Clara County Justice Training Center in 2019 and now works as a Correctional Officer in the Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City. Alejandro was recently selected to serve on the facility’s elite Emergency Response Team.

Years in college: College of San Mateo, 2017; Santa Clara County Justice Training Center: 12/18 – 3/19

Future plans: Alejandro plans to return to the Justice Training Center in 2022 to receive the training he needs to become a patrolman.

Upward Scholars impact: The Upward Scholars tutor who worked with Alejandro while he attended the College of San Mateo continued to meet with him twice a week to help him prepare for the Police Academy entrance exam. After failing that exam, his tutor met with him for two hours a day, seven days a week, for almost three months. Ultimately, Alejandro passed the exam and entered the academy. “I absolutely could not have passed that exam without the help of my Upward Scholars tutor. She made my future as a police officer possible.”