Opportunity and Freedom
With the support of CIS, our students stay in school, graduate and go on to bright futures. They all have a story about their journey to who they are today. Alumnus Samuel shares his.
Education means opportunity and freedom. And for many students all they need is a little light, so they can see the path to a successful future. I was part of many first-generation U.S. born students that needed a CIS site coordinator to shine that light on my path – to provide direction and guidance in graduating high school.
I felt that getting a job was more important than graduating and felt out of place in school because I did not understand the value in graduating. CIS motivated me to catch up on my grades and graduate with my class of 2000. If it weren’t for CIS, I would not have graduated and gone to college.
After graduating high school, CIS provided me the opportunity to attend the 2000 National Youth Summit in Orlando, where I listened to speakers, including Colin Powell, and met with other youth leaders around the country. It was my first time to leave the state of Texas and board an airplane.
Today I am the regional human resources manager for an oil and gas service company. I also serve on many volunteer and advisory boards including the CIS Alumni Leadership Network. CIS taught me to give back to the organization that provided me with the resources I needed.
I volunteer my time at CIS campuses and speak to groups of students on college and career readiness. I credit my success to the CIS group that helped light the path for me to a brighter future, and I look forward to partnering with CIS program leaders now, so we can assist other youth in reaching their goals.
- January 2019
Related Articles
