For Liliana, It's Been Back to School, Forward to Success

When family circumstances forced her to drop out of Kelly High School, Liliana found a job at a large corporation, working her way up to management.  

“I kept hitting a ceiling where I couldn’t advance any more. I was training people who had zero experience, but were getting paid more than me because of their education,” she explained. ”  

In May of 2024, she, along with hundreds of others, was laid off. Liliana wondered if a stronger academic background would have saved her, so she started looking into earning her GED. After a few encouraging calls from the Adult Education Department at Daley College, Liliana found herself back in the classroom and earning her GED after only 6 weeks.  

She fell in love with the school and decided to enroll in college credit classes in August 2024. Now in her last semester, Liliana has paid nothing out of pocket thanks to a combination of grants and scholarships and is on her way to transfer to National Louis University to earn a bachelor’s degree in business administration. 

But Liliana hasn’t just gone to classes – the mother of two is highly involved on campus. As the Vice President of the Student Government Association, she makes sure that students, no matter their age, background, or goals have a voice at the college. She also offers a warm welcome to campus and helps her peers understand where to find resources like the free on-campus food market, advising, the Wellness Center, and one she is especially familiar with: One Million Degrees (OMD).  

“I wasn’t sure how I was going to navigate college as a first-generation and non-traditional college student, but luckily I found One Million Degrees right at the beginning of my time at Daley,” she said. “They have been with me every step of the way.” 

Paired with volunteer coaches and given a wide range of professional development and networking opportunities, Liliana raves about the support she’s received. She also credits her paid OMD internship in the finance and technology department for helping her decide that a degree in business was the right path for her. Now, she plans to eventually earn her MBA and work in Human Resources or process improvement, because she’s learned that she likes working with people to make things work better for everyone involved.  

“My kids are part of the reason I am doing what I’m doing. I want to give them a future they can rely on,” said Liliana.