As a high school senior, Stephanie Ramos Navarro had no idea what she wanted out of life. She was certain that she wanted to pursue an education but was unclear which direction to take. And she was about to be the first (out of 32 grandchildren) in her family to set foot on a college campus. After sharing her uncertainty and fears with her teachers at Ygnacio Valley High School, she was guided to DVC. “They helped me understand my alternatives, and within a few months, I registered as a full-time student.”
“The PUENTE team gave me the voice and confidence to achieve anything I set my mind to, in addition to the wonderful academic opportunities, fantastic connections, and friendships.”
Despite many adversities in her life, Stephanie made her educational journey a priority. She believes these barriers inspired her to grow personally and offered her direction professionally. “I have learned to be incredibly thankful for the personal and academic challenges I have faced. The challenges I experienced helped me become the incredibly resilient and independent woman I am now. And as a result of life-altering events I developed a strong passion for learning and furthering my education which ignited my interest to give back.”
While studying at DVC, Stephanie had two jobs and worked up to 40 hours a week. To help her through her educational program and keep focused and on track, she joined DVC’s Puente program. “I owe the Puente team a huge debt of gratitude; without their direction and encouragement, there is no way that I could have completed my journey at DVC.” Stephanie started to even think of everyone on the Puente team as family that she could always rely on to get the appropriate information. “They gave me the voice and confidence to achieve anything I set my mind to, in addition to the wonderful academic opportunities, fantastic connections, and friendships.”
Stephanie graduated this Spring with an associate degree in psychology and is transferring to UC Davis to pursue her bachelor’s degree. She plans to obtain a master’s degree soon after. What inspires her to persevere and keep going? Stephanie says she wants to be able to provide comfort and closure in other people’s most vulnerable moments as a psychologist. “I feel incredibly excited to commit and submerge myself further into the program.”
