Meet Brenda Coronel, RTB Scholar
Raise the Barr scholar Brenda Coronel and her daughter Zoey.
As told by Brenda to Lori and in her Raise the Barr application:
“I am the first in my family to attend college and the mother of a beautiful five-year-old little girl, Zoey. I know that pursuing higher education is the key to help me succeed in life and break the stigma of being a single parent raising a low-income family. Education is something that cannot be taken away, so my academics are my main priority. I intend on pursuing a Ph.D. in Social Welfare. Before I became a mother, I was barely making it through school. After becoming a mother, and with counseling, I became completely focused on providing my daughter with a bright future. I know that we can grow from damage instead of allowing it to define us.
I’ve been providing for myself since I was 18 and I chose to look at the big picture. I decided I needed to be successful in school in order for us to have an opportunity in this world. When I returned to my coursework, my grades soared. I retook the classes I withdrew from and earned excellent grades. I was invited by the President of Rio Hondo College to share my story at commencement, and was published in the 2019 Student of the Year Portraits of Student Success by the College’s CalWORKs association. Being validated and recognized in this way reminded me that as a mother and student, giving up was not an option because I had no time to waste. There was a little girl depending on me and because of that, I offered nothing but my best work. Overcoming my background is no longer a barrier to my success but an asset; it informs my work, fuels my drive to thrive, and serves as a reminder to me and my daughter that nothing and nobody will get in our way of accomplishing our dreams.
I transferred from Rio Hondo College to UCLA for a number of reasons, but primarily because UCLA offered family housing with onsite, extended hour childcare. As a single mother this was an essential need. My university apartment has provided me and Zoey with a home to call our own. Having a safe and secure place to raise Zoey allowed me to worry less about that and give more attention to my studies. However, the cost associated with living in family housing brought on a new stress. I knew my financial aid would not cover the entire cost of rent, so I took out student loans to fill in the gaps. Looking back, I wish I would have applied for more scholarships or fellowships instead of borrowing money and working part-time jobs. It’s always a balancing act trying to make sure I had enough money but also making sure I had enough time with my daughter. I also wish that I had developed stronger relationships with my professors and faculty. I think this could have helped in a couple of different ways; when requesting letters of recommendation for graduate school and possible scholarships and research stipends. The power of social capital cannot be underestimated. Those relationships can be more valuable than money. Hindsight is 20/20 and now that I am set to graduate, I intend on applying some of the lessons I’ve learned along the way. How to finance my continued education while giving Zoey the attention she needs is one such lesson.
As a sociology major, I feel like I’ve given myself the background knowledge that can be applied in almost any industry (business, law, education, social work) because social problems occur everywhere and sociology majors are trained to examine and effectively solve these issues. My career goal is to become a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor. I dream of building a mental health facility where I can practice psychotherapy. I want to reduce the stigma of mental illness and I want to bring resources to individuals who lack them in order to reach their full potential. I want to help others realize that underrepresented people and communities do not have to let their economic or social status define them or be a barrier to their achievements. From my own life experience, I can attest that having a disadvantage does not need to be an obstacle but can be used as fuel to thrive. I want people to have options in life, in school, in their communities and by supporting their mental health, I can help others reach their full potential.”
Epilogue
Brenda, thank you for sharing such a deeply personal and difficult story. Know that RTB will always consider you family and will cheer you on every step towards your ultimate goal! Congratulations.
“Today is my drive-through graduation ceremony and I was sad that it’ll be a fast process and my family can’t join me. But reading this reminded me of where I came from and that my hard work to get where I am at now and where I’m going (grad school) is worth it. Thank you for being family to me and Zoey. It’s perfect! Thank you for sharing my story.”