For many students, college seems like the normal step after high school. But for a lot of families, college is a foreign concept.
The KIPP Through College program aims to instill the goal of college at a very young age. And it even works with students through college graduation.
“My family, not a lot of them go to college or try to finish up after high school,” high school senior Mariah Delgado said. Other than Delgado’s aunt, Delgado is set to be the only one in her family to go to college.
“I guess I’ve seen the struggles that my mom had gone through. My mom had me when she was 19, so she really wasn’t able to go to school,” Delgado said.
Being the first in her immediate family is a lot of motivation for Delgado. She credits her loved ones, but also credits her school.
“There’s no other mission but to get students to college and then through college,” said Ruben Rodriguez, director of College Counseling KIPP Through College.
The KIPP Through College program sets up students with classes designed to teach them the process of applying.
