OneGoal CEO Melissa Connelly delivered a thought-provoking speech at the 2023 NCAN National Conference. The following is an edited transcript of her remarks about the recent narrative around whether college is still worth it for students across the United States.
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Ricardo’s Road to Success
By Monica Selagea & Ricardo Godinez
August 27, 2024
Ricardo Godinez’s postsecondary journey is a testament to resilience, determination, and the impact of community support. Despite facing numerous challenges, including financial constraints and cultural adjustments, Ricardo’s commitment to his education never wavered.
Meet Ricardo Godinez, a Mexican-American, first-generation student from Chicago. In high school, he embraced the OneGoal resources and excelled academically, so by senior year, several colleges had offered him acceptances. After graduating in 2016, Ricky committed to Northern Michigan University (NMU) in Marquette, Michigan. Ricky, like many of his classmates, was not accustomed to leaving his home. But he wanted to experience the college dream, so at 18 years old, he moved to a small town almost seven hours away. Despite the odds, this distance pushed him to be independent, which made him focused on his academics and organized with his new lifestyle. Ricky was thriving!
Ricky shared how the OneGoal program supported his postsecondary path: “Having teachers who truly care about you comes a long way because it creates a relationship that is built on trust and devotion. OneGoal gave me the opportunity to explore my options as a young kid in high school and actually gave me the belief that it was possible for me to get a degree, and not only that but to become the first person in my family to earn a degree. Those connections are also kept after graduating high school.”
Facing Financial
Challenges
Diversity was scarce at NMU, and he did feel out of place, but it did not impact his ambition. However, after a year, Ricky had to leave NWU due to financial constraints. His out-of-pocket cost was too expensive and he refused to take out loans. The opportunity for his well deserved education came with a heavy price and this was heartbreaking for Ricky.
According to the Pell Institute and PennAHEAD, only 15% of low-income students will earn a bachelor’s degree, whereas 59% of students in the highest income bracket will complete college. The financial barrier is only one reason for this widening opportunity gap. In our blog post “Supporting students toward a college degree,” we included different tools to support students.
Taking a Break
to Reassess Goals
When Ricky returned to Chicago, he rushed his decision to continue his education and enrolled at Dominican University in Forest Park, Illinois. This impulsive decision affected his academics, and after speaking to an advisor at Dominican, Ricky decided to take a break to reflect on his long-term goals. “Taking time off was the best decision I made because I was able to get a break from school and also get feedback from my parents. Open discussions come a long way in making others realize what they want and truly care about.”
OneGoal’s program supports educators and students by making college and career planning integral to the high school experience. It begins with the OneGoal course in 11th and 12th grades and continues with remote support through the critical first year of a student’s postsecondary pathway. Ricky explains, “OneGoal taught me how to fill out financial aid and how to research scholarships. We also practiced writing during OneGoal hours, like our personal statements. The program also did a great job creating a cohort of students who wanted to pursue a higher education and we helped support one another along the way – this created a culture that showed all of us that we deserved the opportunities, we just had to find them.“
Embrace the Journey
and Push Forward
A year later, Ricky enrolled at Wilbur Wright College and graduated in 2021 with an Associate’s Degree in Arts. He enrolled at Northeastern Illinois University and received a Bachelor of Arts in Justice Studies in 2023. With the support of his parents and his drive to beat the odds, Ricky persisted. He believes that taking a break can be healthy because mistakes are inevitable.
“Earning a degree comes from ‘earning’ it. It is not supposed to be easy and it is not promised, but many students tend to be afraid of failing, making mistakes, or seeking help.”
Today, Ricky is only a few steps away from becoming a Chicago Police Officer. He is passionate about building healthy relationships between the police and his community and wants to serve those in need.
Ricky reflects, “Recently, I was mailed old letters that I wrote to myself when I was a part of OneGoal and it made me grateful for all the time spent with my old classmates and staff who pushed me to be better. After looking back at all the work I put in, it makes the whole experience worth it.”
“For the new generation of OneGoal students, please push yourselves and do not be afraid to fail. Always reach out to those who pushed you and seek out the resources offered all around you.”
Monica Selagea grew up in Chicago and attended Columbia College in Chicago and DePaul University. She is currently a high school teacher in Chicago and a Program Director for OneGoal. She also teaches at the City Colleges of Chicago.
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