“While my family wanted me to go to college, they could not help me with taking the steps to make my college dreams a reality.”
Growing up, Dalia’s parents encouraged a passion for education.
In elementary school, Dalia developed a love for reading, so her dad gifted her books from her favorite book series.
Later in high school, when Dalia took advanced courses, her mom stayed up late as she completed homework. When she accepted leadership roles in extracurricular activities, her mom woke up early to drop her off for band practice.
“My family has always supported my academic endeavors and encouraged me to pursue a college education,” Dalia shared. “However, when it came to the details of how to get to college, that was up to me. Neither of my parents graduated from high school let alone pursued higher education. While my family wanted me to go to college, they could not help me with taking the steps to make my college dreams a reality. It was up to me to find other support networks.”
That’s when she discovered STEP.
“The STEP staff told me that if I worked hard and challenged myself, I could attend a top college or university with the support [I needed] — both financially and academically — to [achieve] a bachelor’s degree,” says Dalia. “This was my dream, so I applied to STEP and accepted the invitation to join the program with excitement.”
And that was just the extra support she needed.
“STEP taught me everything I needed to know to apply to college in my senior year," explains Dalia. "My STEP advisor helped me write my college essays, edit my college applications, complete financial aid applications, and travel to three different colleges across the country.”
Dalia was offered and accepted a full scholarship to “the best college in the country”: Williams College.
“I know with complete certainty that I would not have been accepted to Williams without STEP because I had no idea that [it even] existed before I joined STEP.”
But Dalia’s journey with STEP didn’t end there. After graduating from Williams College with a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Political Science, she returned to Arizona to officially join the STEP team as an advisor.
“I helped younger STEP students learn about the same opportunities and colleges that I had learned about when I was in their shoes. I helped them face challenges and supported them and their families to take the leap and apply to programs and colleges both in Arizona and out-of-state. I enjoyed helping students reach their college dreams, but I knew that my journey with education was not over.”
Now, Dalia is navigating a new challenge: law school.
“I have dreamed of being a lawyer since middle school, but in order to be a lawyer, I had to apply and get accepted into a law school… The same STEP advisors who helped me get into college later helped me get into law school, which shows that STEP advisors will always be there to encourage and support your academic endeavors even beyond college.”
Dalia is attending Vermont Law and Graduate School in South Royalton, Vermont. In two years, she plans to take the bar exam and become an attorney.
“This long and beautiful journey was possible because, in high school, I took a chance in applying to STEP and then continued to take every other opportunity that came my way.”