Dianna Garzón

I attended Lane Tech High School where I received generalized support from peers and counselors. However, this did not eliminate the inherent anxieties that stemmed from being a first-generation and low-income Latina navigating higher education for the first time. Consequently, I had little idea about what I was doing when I first entered the college application process. I applied and received acceptances to approximately 15 schools––most of which were out-of-state. I romanticized the idea of leaving Chicago but was vastly uneducated about the difference in tuition and various aspects of affordability. Unfortunately, for most, if not all, of these schools, even receiving the highest scholarship or grant did not cover a significant portion of tuition.

My prospects seemed bleak until my older sister, who worked at Wright College at the time, told me to stop being ridiculous and apply to the Star Scholarship. While attending school for free seemed ideal, I was unsure about community college entirely, mostly because of the social perceptions that surround it. She brought me to campus through my profound hesitation and asked me to be open-minded.

Walking into the Wright College Advising and Transfer Center solidified my decision; everyone was attentive, warm, and kind. Each advisor, staff member, and Associate Dean Maria Llopíz radiated a familial energy. Within the same week, I rescinded each of my applications and fully committed to attending Wright College as a Star scholar and political science major.

My assigned advisor, Mr. Herrera, was at the center of my support team. During my time at Wright, he forwarded emails with opportunities specifically for me; I was encouraged to try everything. He met with me numerous times to help me develop my education/transfer plan and carefully assisted me with the transfer process. Through this supportive relationship, I met many of my college mentors and was able to have fun on the Wright campus by being involved in a plethora of activities. Based on my achievements in Professor Merry Mayer’s class, I was invited to join the Diplomacy Lab as an independent researcher for two semesters. During that time, I worked on a research memorandum about COVID-19 policies in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries and policy recommendations. The Diplomacy Lab opportunity became central to who I am and the trajectory of my academic career.

As president of Student Government Association and as a student ambassador in the Advising and Transfer Center, I learned leadership and transferable skills. Additionally, I was inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, joined the Honors and Great Books programs, and participated in the UIC School of Law Fair Housing course. These transformative opportunities and the immense support from faculty and staff led me to become a semifinalist for the Jack Kent Cooke Transfer Scholarship and ultimately graduate as the Class of 2021 valedictorian.

I had one dream: to transfer somewhere great. I received full-tuition transfer admission offers from Yale University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University. I graduated in December 2023 from Yale University with a B.A in Ethics, Politics, and Economics with a concentration in international political economy and development economics. Since graduating, I have been working with the American Institutes for Research and the American Bar Foundation. With the skills and passions that were born and developed at Wright, I am beginning the graduate school application process, with ambitions of earning a JD/PhD. I look back and am so fortunate that I agreed to walk through the Wright College doors; my life has become a dream I couldn’t have imagined.

-Written by Dianna Garzón, Wilbur Wright College, Class of 2021