A Powerful Voice Shaping College Access & EmpowerU

How can one voice pave the way for change in a vastly under resourced community? What is it like to attend a school in which district-enacted random searches disrupted classrooms? How does a first-generation, low income daughter of immigrants make her way to an Ivy League institution amidst systemic barriers?

I’m joined by Elvia Perez, the founder of EmpowerU, an ed-tech startup that works to address educational disparities and provide students with the resources and tools they need to obtain higher education. Sit down with me and tune-in to hear about how Elvia’s experiences as a first-generation, low-income student from an under-resourced district in LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District) informed her desire to become a change maker for students across the country. She shares with me what it was like to attend a school in which district-enacted random searches disrupted classrooms, and her hopes for a reallocation of funding that could increase access to mental health care, art and education initiatives, and college admissions counselling in her district. With EmpowerU, Elvia hopes to give all students access to a quality higher education. She firmly believes that all students deserve to have access to the resources and tools that have the potential of transforming their lives, communities, and ultimately society.

If you have a story to tell—no matter how small—email me at [email protected] or reach out on Instagram, @uniquestorybroadnarrative. If you are hesitant to share your story, unsure if your perspective is valuable, or if the tabloids and headlines don’t match up with real life, I’d love to hear from you to broaden the conversations we are having.

Check Out Experiences, Realities, and the Future: What the End of Random Searches Means to Students by Elvia Perez & follow along on EmpowerU’s Instagram: @EmpowerU.StartUp

Source Materials: The Hechinger Report, NACAC, EducationWeek, McKinsey & Co.

Music overlay by Scott Holmes Music, scottholmesmusic.com