Joselyn strives to reach goal of college education

Villa Esperanza scholarship recipient works her numbers for success

Joselyn

When you talk to Villa Esperanza scholarship recipient, Joselyn, you soon realize that this is not a typical college student who wants to get good grades. No, this young woman is a serious student, ultra-focused on the importance of doing well in her studies, very determined to make a positive mark, even at her young age. In addition to 15 hours of classes this second semester of her sophomore year at the University of Texas, she is involved in two organizations. One is the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA), where Joselyn serves as the Technology Director, managing the website, updating news, and promoting through social networking. She is also involved with the year-round preparations for a Christian summer camp for freshman students. As busy as she is, Joselyn maintains a 3.66 GPA and even volunteered to talk to parents and kids on behalf of Villa Esperanza at the recent Feria Para Aprender, an education fair for Spanish speaking families in Austin.

Joselyn came to the United States from Ecuador with her family when she was nine years old. No one in her family knew English at the time and it was an obstacle. When she started to learn English in school, she was self conscious of her accent and was frustrated that she couldn’t be in the classes she really wanted. But a teacher’s error put her in a more advanced English class when she was in 8th grade, which gave her the push she needed to get ahead. She was forced to improve her speaking and writing in this more challenging class, and as a result, her English abilities increased.

She always wanted to go to college, but was worried about the cost because people talked about how expensive it was. Her older sister, Evelyn, attended college first and helped Joselyn learn about things like financial aid and housing possibilities – all things Evelyn had to learn on her own. Now Joselyn is helping her younger sister, Catherine, prepare for college, helping her choose the right classes and prepare for exams.

Joselyn lives with her older sister, and studies for a degree in accounting. She said she has always loved numbers and math, “because it is very straight forward, but also analytical.” She likes to figure out how one can save money, or how a business can be more profitable. Joselyn believes these things lay a foundation for a business to be successful.

Using these beliefs and what she is learning at the UT McCombs School of Business, she started working for ALPFA, a mentoring program that helps Latino finance and accounting students with career internships and scholarships. Through this work, Joselyn learned about a summer internship with the accounting firm, Ernst & Young. Over the January break, she was able to travel to New York City through another Ernst & Young program called “Discover EY.”

As a 19-year-old sophomore, Joselyn is very focused. She says one difficulty about starting college was taking responsibility in every decision; there was no one there to tell her what to do. She said, “It’s challenging to manage your time, but it’s a growing experience. Everything is self rewarding because you did it yourself.” And things like good grades give her a sense of accomplishment.

Joselyn says being an immigrant to the U.S. has helped her maintain her determination. Her parents came here for her and her sisters, to give them a better education and life. But now it’s not just something her parents want for her; it’s something she wants for herself. At the end of this year, she will apply for the Master’s of Public Accounting program at UT. She says she has learned so much in college already, and not just about accounting. She has enjoyed meeting different people from different countries and has enjoyed the diversity of UT and Austin. College is giving her a broader worldview, one she is already using to her advantage. With her focus and drive, Joselyn is already laying her own foundation for a successful future.

To learn more about Villa Esperanza, please visit: www.villa-esperanza.org

Written by Jill Sokness, Villa Esperanza volunteer