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We all have role models, right? If your answer is no, then you might
consider getting one. Role models are individuals whose successes and
achievements inspire and motivate us. They help realize our possibilities,
overcome our challenges, strengthen our values and help us live our lives
to their full potential. For you, a role model might be an older sibling
or your parents. For someone, else it might be a teacher, a movie
star, an athlete or the CEO of one of our nation’s top 500 companies.
Usually, we look for role models with similar gender, ethnicity and
cultural characteristics. Research indicates that when people see
role models with similar characteristics perform successfully; their
expectations about their own abilities to perform a task are raised.
But we do not need to look for celebrities and superstar athletes nor do
we need to look for nation top executives. How about looking for
everyday positive role models, may be right in your neighborhood and city.
When we find role models who are more like us, we believe that it is
possible to do the same. For Latino youth in this country who aspire to
attain a college education, finding a role model may prove to be a
difficult task.
Why?
Well, participation of Latinos in all levels of education continues to be
low, while dropout and low retention rates are still high. However, there
are many Latino youths who are overcoming the cultural obstacle they face in
education. We have studied many of them to learn how they have been able to
access and earn a college education in spite of great challenges. Here
is a closer look at some of them, who they are, where they have been and the
obstacles they have had to overcome. Perhaps you will discover their
story is not much different from yours. If they sound like an average
teenager just like you, we hope their stories will inspire and motivate you.
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