July 26, 2019

Oh we’re not done celebrating our Summer Searchers yet! Last week we featured some remarkable students who completed their high school journeys. Now, it’s time for round 2 of our #SummerSearchGrad series where we spotlight the accomplishments of our inspiring post-secondary students and alumni.

Salomon graduating from East Stroudsburg University

Salomon — Philadelphia

“Never dreamed about success, I worked for it.”

Salomon from Summer Search Philadelphia graduated from East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania this spring. His above quote (which he shared on Instagram) speaks volumes about his journey to get to graduation. It isn’t simply about dreaming big, but backing up those dreams with action and hard work. Congrats Salomon!

carla2 - NW Law

Carla — Philadelphia

Fellow Philly alumna Carla received her JD from Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law! In a heartfelt social media post, Carla attributed her accomplishments to “the strength and resilience of the women [her mother and grandmother] that came before me.” Later this summer she’ll start her new job as an Assistant District Attorney for the City of Philadelphia. She shares that she is “really excited to help bring criminal justice reform to [her] hometown.”

Se'Quia B

Se’Quia — Philadelphia

“I thank you all, my friends and family for the outstanding support through this journey and to this day! It was well worth it to say I mastered it! (criminal justice)’ And the praise goes RIGHT THERE!!!! I love you all!!”

As the quote above illustrates, Se’Quia expressed tremendous gratitude for her support system throughout her path to graduation from Widener University with a degree in criminal justice. Summer Search is proud to be just one of the many who supported her.

Sandy UPenn graduate

Sandy — Philadelphia

Sandy’s pathway to her Ivy League Bachelor’s Degree stands as an inspiration to anyone who faces roadblocks on their own academic journey, which the Philly Summer Searcher shared:

“Today I graduated with a B.S.E. in Bioengineering and a minor in Engineering Entrepreneurship from the University of Pennsylvania! After weathering many ups and downs while taking care of my family, and against all the odds as a first-generation, low-income, queer student — I was able to learn not only how to survive for myself and heal, but now I am learning how to thrive. I am so grateful for all the friendships, connections, and mentorships I’ve gained at Penn as I studied to become the best technical problem-solver I can be.”

Jullie Le

Jullie — Seattle

Jullie, a Summer Search Seattle alumna, joined the Master’s Degree club after graduating from University of Washington Tacoma with her Master of Social Work (MSW) degree. Her friends and family not only threw her an amazing graduation party, but they even gave Jullie her own hashtag — #JullieMSW2019 — to mark the occasion.

Mamata Tamang

Mamata — Seattle

Here’s a very happy graduate of Western Washington University, and rightfully so! Mamata was all smiles as she shared her excitement with her Facebook community:

“Another milestone has been completed today. It has been a blessing to be able to finish this [solid] four years of amazingly happy moments, but also very challenging moments of my pre-adulthood life. Special shout-out to all my families & friends from around the world, mentors, professors, work colleagues, WWU Clubs, housemates, CCF Corefa’s and so on. You guys were there when I needed a space to share my happiness along with some moments to share my tears as well. Honestly, I have never imagined that I would be getting my degree within four years.”

Araceli graduates from the University of Washington

Araceli — Seattle

Araceli, who shared her story at Seattle’s 2018 Leadership Luncheon, celebrated her graduation from University of Washington with her son, who seemed just as excited for her as we are. College is challenging, but Araceli managed to earn her degree while also excelling at her other “full-time job” as a mom.

Ana+Elizabeth

Ana and Elizabeth — Seattle

Rounding out our Seattle grads are Ana (left) and Elizabeth (right)! Ana was accompanied by her mentor Rebecca at her graduation from Central Washington University. Elizabeth (pictured with her younger sister) was joined by family and friends as she received her Psychology degree from Scripps College.

Priscilla was accepted to the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business

Priscilla — Bay Area

And it’s not just about graduations… Priscilla from Summer Search Bay Area is celebrating her acceptance into the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business! As she pursues her MBA, Priscilla will also complete fellowships for the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management and the Forté Foundation.

In a powerful LinkedIn post, she reflects on her long journey and thanks all of her supporters, which includes a wonderful shout out to Summer Search:

“Growing up in an immigrant household, as a first-generation high school and college student, higher education was always a far-fetched dream of mine. Through countless obstacles and roadblocks, failures and successes, I’ve learned the strength of persistence and humility. In fact, I’d like to share my Haas 6-word story with you, Humility helped me find my power. I will forever be reminded and grateful of my humbled beginnings.

“It’s been a whirlwind of a journey to get to where I am today, and I couldn’t have done it without my greatest supporters. To my family, friends, colleagues, mentors (special shoutout to Warren Brown and Katherine Kennedy), and Summer Search: thank you for believing in me; thank you for pushing me forward; and thank you for cheering me on as I embark on my next adventure! Go Bears!”

A picture is worth a thousand words. And these pictures offer us a glimpse into the hard work, persistence, and dedication that led these Summer Searchers to these incredible accomplishments. Congrats to the entire Class of 2019! The future is bright with you as our lawyers, engineers, social workers, industry leaders, advocates, and more!

Check out part 1 of our 2019 #SummerSearchGrad series »

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