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Santiago De La Garza’s Journey of Activism and College Success
By Lovliana Baptiste
December 5, 2024
Follow Santiago De La Garza’s inspiring journey navigating activism, college life, and community engagement. Learn how OneGoal’s support helped them overcome challenges and achieve success. Discover their passion for change, advocacy, and cultural empowerment in this powerful story.
Meet Santiago, a first-generation Mexican-American student from Chicago. Santiago graduated from Eric Solorio Academy, where they first got introduced to OneGoal and gained a support system that helped them navigate the complexities of high school, the college application process, and now their postsecondary career.
Santiago’s passion for activism and tackling injustices in their community is inspiring; their knack for advocating for themselves and others around them can be seen throughout their lives and they are carrying it with them while they are taking classes at Knox College. This aspiring author and journalist is one to keep your eye on: we know they’re going to do great things and they’re going to continue to use their voice to advocate and empower those around them.
Activism and
Community Engagement
Santiago has been an avid activist in their community since they were in Middle School. Early on, Santiago spotted the injustices happening around them and became involved in the fight for change by engaging in youth organizing, focusing mostly on grassroots abolition. In high school, their activism only grew stronger, participating in organizations such as the Chicago Freedom School, and Students Strike Back. Through their time in these organizations, they’ve gained more knowledge on issues on the school-to-prison pipeline, racism, anti-oppression, power, prejudice, and empowering action. Santiago also had the opportunity to participate in the Freedom Fellowship program of about 30 students for two years in a row, and even got the chance to lead a cohort in developing their own activism project! This activism and drive for change hasn’t stopped since they started attending college. This Fall semester they have the opportunity to take a course that they’re particularly excited about called Prison Education, where they can learn about activism in a new way through a practicum drawing on theories of critical pedagogy and critical race.
Navigating the
Path to College
Santiago’s journey to college was filled with challenges and triumphs. Being a first-generation college student and the first in their family to attend college, navigating the college application process was a learning curve. Santiago’s support from their OneGoal Program Director (teacher) at the time, Jacob Caplan, helped them navigate selecting a Best Fit List, the college application process, FAFSA, and financial aid appeals. Santiago highlights their relationship with their Program Director as an influential part of their journey to get to college, mentioning one pivotal moment when Jacob Caplan supported them in appealing their financial aid: “Mr. Caplan is the one that helped me fill it out, and he was busy. I think he was at a doctor’s appointment but he still called me …. Even though he was busy, he was like, “I only have a few minutes, but I can help you.”
Besides their relationship with their Program Director, Santiago highlighted some other OneGoal resources that helped them successfully complete their Freshman year. They were able to utilize the OneGoal Enrollment Grant to close financial gaps, and they learned about scholarships through help from Pam Johnson Davis, a OneGoal Director of Fellow Support in Chicago. They felt cared for by OneGoal, whether it was during a college visit where donuts were provided by the OneGoal staff or text blasts with reminders and links to resources.
When asked how they have felt about OneGoal’s interaction with them, Santiago stated, “they care a lot, you know, it’s, it’s hard to find a group like that, to be honest, or an organization like that.” They highlighted how OneGoal’s support extended outside of just academic or financial resources to include emotional support throughout their journey as well.
Excitement for
the School Year
Santiago is now a student at Knox College, where they’re pursuing their highest postsecondary aspirations. The decision to go to Knox College wasn’t the easiest, but using OneGoal tools, they found it to be an academic and a personal fit. Now they are on campus, taking classes, making friends, and working in the financial aid office, a position secured through their proactive approach, self-advocacy, and networking skills.
Santiago’s freshman year at college was a period of significant adjustment and self-discovery, but it has been an exciting and fulfilling new journey. They did experience a culture shock, having grown up in a predominantly low-income, working-class, Latinx neighborhood, and having to navigate being at a PWI (Predominately White Institution). Santiago noted, “It was a really, really big culture shock, because in my neighborhood, we’re all low income, we’re all working class, poor, and so I’m surrounded by people who are just like me.” It took some time to adjust but Sanitago was able to build a strong community and support system on campus where they were supported through moments that could feel isolating.
Santiago found solace and acceptance in the diverse and supportive environment at Knox College. They’ve engaged with cultural groups like Casa Latina and MEChA, participating in events that celebrate and explore their cultural heritage. “My campus is a very small liberal arts school, so they’re very accepting of other identities,” This acceptance has helped them feel more at ease with their identity and has allowed them to flourish and explore their identity in new ways. Santiago is looking forward to having a dorm in the Casa Latina residence this year, which will bring them so many new experiences and chances to meet new people on campus.
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