Last year, in partnership with the California State University (CSU), Liaison offered three $5,000 prizes in the Cal State Apply Early Giveaway. The giveaway rewarded three applicants who applied early with a scholarship which could be used for educational expenses including tuition, fees, books, housing and transportation at any of the twenty-three CSU campuses.
The prizes went to Kachelle Carter, who attends California State University, Monterey Bay; Alejandro Navarro, who studies athletic training at California State University, Fresno and Rosibel Medina, a student at California State University, Dominguez Hills. We were grateful for the chance to connect with Medina to learn more about her college experience and how she’s put her prize to use.
“I am a mother of three and I work full time as a staff accountant for a property management company — I would like to become a CPA,” Medina said. Though she wanted to be a Toro ever since she graduated high school in 1999, she didn’t attend college right away. Now, Medina is part of the growing number of students over age 24 pursuing an undergraduate degree.
Medina said when she went back to school in 2014 to pursue an associate degree, she was determined to get her AA and transfer. “When it was finally time to transfer, the first school on my list was Dominguez Hills,” she said. The transfer path that Medina is taking is becoming more common — the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center found that more than 1/3 of college students transferred at least once within six years. Many students see starting at community colleges as a more affordable path to a degree as tuition costs at four-year institutions continue to climb.
Medina is supplementing the Cal State Apply Early Giveaway scholarship with supplement loans and additional scholarships to pay for her education as she balances school with full-time employment. Liaison is excited to partner with systems like the CSU to expand access to education, and we look forward to continuing this work in the future.
If you’d like to apply to the CSU for the next semester, mark your calendars now: The application cycle opens on October 1.