Jennifer Toledo On The Path To Achieving Dream of Being The First In Her Family to Graduate

AlamoPROMISE Student of the Month - May 2024, NVC Student, Jennifer Toledo

Jennifer Toledo has always had big plans for her future and dreamed of attending college. At just 14, while living in Mexico, she told her parents that all she wanted for her 15th birthday was to move to the United States so that she would have more opportunities to attend school.

Four years ago, without knowing English and without her family, Jennifer moved to San Antonio, TX. During her senior year of high school, she learned about AlamoPROMISE, a last-dollar scholarship that covers 100 percent of tuition and fees for graduating seniors from partner high schools. Excited about the opportunity to pursue her dreams of higher education without the financial strain, Jennifer enrolled at Northwest Vista College (NVC) and began studying Teaching.

The support provided by AlamoPROMISE has been instrumental in making Jennifer’s dreams of becoming a first-generation college student a reality.

“AlamoPROMISE has relieved a significant burden and made it possible for me to achieve my educational goals without undue financial stress. This support has not only lightened my burden but has also reaffirmed my belief in the power of community and collective investment in education,” said Jennifer. 

Jennifer has attended NVC for the past two years and considers the campus a second home. In addition to her studies, she has embraced student life and is an active member of the President’s Student Advisory Council and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. In October 2023, NVC staff chose Jennifer as one of only two students invited to attend the Chicago Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) conference. She is also a student employee at NVC’s Student Success.

In May 2024, the Alamo Colleges District (ACD) Board of Trustees recognized her hard work and commitment to her goals and awarded her AlamoPROMISE Student of the Month.

“I’m proud of what I have done here at Northwest Vista…I refuse to let language limitations define my path,” said Jennifer. “My academic achievement is a testimony to the power of resilience and an immense belief in one’s ability to succeed no matter what challenges one faces.”

In Summer 2024, Jennifer will complete her last semester at NVC and earn an Associate of Arts in Teaching. After graduation, she plans to transfer to the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), where she will pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Bilingual Education as well as a Master's and Ph.D. in Culture, Literacy, and Language. Her ultimate goal is to return to ACD as an employee so that she can help future students in their journey to achieving higher education.