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Paola Valdez

Alumni, Access Program

When Paola Valdez joined the Bottom Line Access Program in 2018, she was proud to be attending college, something she says her family members wished they could do when they were her age. She looked forward to being someone her nieces and nephews could look up to. She decided to enroll at the University of Massachusetts Boston to pursue a degree in Psychology. Paola remembers feeling relieved her senior year of high school, “my college [essay] was already done…Bottom Line placed me, and to this day, puts me ahead of the game.”  

As Paola entered Bottom Line’s Success Program, she continued to leverage her Advisor to find necessary resources and attend Career Connections Networking Events, like the Empowering the Next Generation Women’s Event. She’s motivated to forge new paths for her and her family: “As a first-generation college student, I see myself as a Latina woman who is working towards getting the knowledge no one in my family has, like taking a finance course to handle my money better, finding resources to become the first homeowner in my family, and passing on the knowledge I collect.” 

Paola is set to graduate in 2024. As she looks ahead to her future, she’s thrilled to utilize her culture and her degree to find a career she’s passionate about. “I am super proud to say I am an Afro-Latina…I am fluent in my native language… The aspiration I have is to work by serving people… because as a person that comes from a different background, I have great respect and understanding of people’s beliefs and culture.” Paola is particularly interested in serving Latino communities, assuring people have access to resources regardless of language barrier.  

As Paola looks toward graduation, she reflects on the impact of being a Bottom Line student: “Bottom Line has been one of the best things that has ever happened to me.”  

Bottom Line is thrilled to cheer Paola on as she continues her path to graduation and finding a perfect first destination career fit. With students like Paola, the future is first gen.