Barbara became an HSC scholar in 2015. She attended St. Mary's University in San Antonio and graduated in 2018 with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and a minor in Art.
While at the beginning her plan was to go to law school after finishing her Bachelor's degree, she soon realized that she wanted to take on a different path. Before graduating, Barbara accepted a job offer from Google, where she had interned in the summer a year before.
Barbara is now 7 months into her job as part of the Perfectiveness Team as a Cross Level Program Manager at Google. In this position, she supports the design, implementation, and evaluation of performance programs in order to help Googlers grow, develop, and promote across different levels. At Google, Barbara has gained important analytical, stakeholder, and project management skills.
Looking back on her time at HSC, Barbara states:
"Only 11% of low-income, first-generation students will obtain a college degree within six years of graduating high school. I've come to understand and realize that I have beaten the odds. HSC and Breakthrough changed my life in the best way possible. They did not only do what they promised to do, get me to and through college, but delivered so much more. They helped me gain confidence, and find my calling. I hope to one day give back as much as HSC and Breakthrough have given me to help others beat statistics and societies expectations."
During her free time, Barbara enjoys lifting weights at the gym and reading. At the moment, she is reading Late Boomers: The Power of Patience in a World Obsesses with Early Achievement by Richard Karlgaard. She is motivated by the message it delivers: an ivy league education, a medical profession, nor a law profession are needed in order to be successful. Barbara states "I think this is something kids--especially Latinx students--don't hear enough and can truly help us find careers and activities that inspire and make us happy."
The impact she wishes to have on her community is simple but strong: to help others find happiness in life, no matter how long it takes nor in what way.
Her biggest advice for success is to say "yes" to new opportunities and to things life has to offer; after all, you never know where they will lead you to (it just might be the right place).
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We look forward to seeing what Barbara continues to accomplish!