Letty Hernandez never thought college was in the cards for her. After joining AVID, the MacArthur High School senior is now on her way to attending the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) for free after earning more than $1 million in scholarship offers.
“I never thought I’d make it this far. I just thought high school would be it for me. I still can’t believe it.”
AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination. This program is designed for students who have the desire to go to college and the willingness to work hard. Letty joined AVID at Garner Middle School and continued the path at MacArthur. She considers it one of the best decisions she’s ever made.
“Before AVID, I genuinely thought it was just me on my own,” said Letty. “I always thought I was limited to what I was able to do, but AVID really helped me believe that I could do more. I never thought I could get into college. I had no idea how to organize my time or take proper notes but because of AVID I’ve gotten into college, and I don’t limit myself like I used to.”
Thanks to her AVID teacher, Reagan Beres, Letty and her peers navigated high school with a support system assisting with scholarships, applications, FASFA and more every step of the way.
When Letty found out she had won the Dell Scholarship worth $20,000, the first person she wanted to tell was Ms. Beres.
“When I found out that I got the Dell Scholarship, I emailed her at five in the morning to tell her. She’s an inspiration to me and so many others. I don’t know how I could ever thank her for what she’s done for me. She’s guided me the whole way. She’s always been a huge support for me, and she’s always expressed how proud she is of me and I’m so grateful for that.”
After years of being inspired by Ms. Beres and her peers in AVID, Letty is looking forward to a bright future at UTSA studying Biology. Thanks to all of the grants and scholarships she’s earned, graduate school should be covered too so she can live out her dream of researching medicine.
Congratulations, Letty!
