When Carol, a former KIPP SoCal Public Schools student, reflects on her life and educational journey, she talks about implementing learning and her ability to help others like her.

“A recurring theme that I have observed throughout my life is the dissemination of knowledge; I have seen it in my grandfather, in my education and also in folk dancing, in the transmission of stories that we do,” says Carol, who preferred not to share her last name.

She could see it in her grandfather, who worked in the fields when migrating to the United States, in her mother, who was an adjunct professor, and in her grandmother, a proud peddler of tamales on the streets of East Los Angeles, stories and examples that have inspired her.

Every time Carol takes to the dance floor waving her colorful traditional folk costume in the air, she not only conveys her culture but also her own story of resilience.

“I grew up in one of the poorest areas of East Los Angeles; I clearly remember not being able to play in my backyard because every few weeks there were shootings and gang members would gather in front of our house,” the young woman recalls.

Although she is now a great folklore dancer, she says that for many years she thought that dancing and the possibility of going to school were unattainable. That was before she entered elementary school at KIPP Raíces Academy and middle school at KIPP LA Prep, both schools located in East Los Angeles, the same community where she grew up.

KIPP SoCal Public Schools is a nonprofit organization that operates 20 high-performing public schools in Southern California, serving more than 10,000 students in preschool through eighth grade. As part of the national KIPP network, they focus on rigorous academic instruction, social-emotional support, and preparing students for college and the workforce, and have a high percentage of students who identify as Latino or African American.

“I remember seeing the folklorico dancers and thinking, ‘I want to do that,’ but either there wasn't time, or we didn't have the money to do it,” Carol says. "It wasn't until high school when I decided to channel all that energy into creative activities. KIPP was where I was given support and stability to learn to dance and go to college."

It all starts at KIPP elementary schools, which are characterized by rigorous academic standards and high expectations, where university culture is instilled early, with classrooms named after universities to show students what they can achieve from day one.

This continues at KIPP high schools with enrichment opportunities that foster identity and leadership, such as the folk dance club, where Carol discovered pride in her culture and found a powerful outlet for creative expression for her energy. Something he really needed after the death of his grandfather, who was like his father.

“After my grandfather died, I felt nothing but enormous sadness and unbearable pain, but over the years I learned to put myself together thanks to the institute,” says Carol. "And one of the ways I did it was through dance. I channeled all that pain and all that sadness into creating something, and I prayed to God that it would lead me to a better life, a better future."

At the time, he says he didn't understand everything that went to college entailed. No one from his closest family had gone. But his teachers made him see that it was something normal, predictable and possible: from his first day of school they instilled in him the idea of ​​preparing for university.

Preparing for college isn't something you talk about just in your senior year of high school. It is a long-term investment in academic skills, confidence and a sense of belonging. When Carol applied to college, she wasn't starting from scratch. He had years of preparation behind him. Upon being admitted to Stanford University, she described it as a door opening, a door she was ready to walk through.

"How nice it is to be able to learn here! I feel fulfilled, happy and I'm growing," says Carol. But getting in is only part of the story. According to KIPP SoCal, that long-term support continues through KIPP Forward, the college and career guidance program that accompanies students from high school through college and the beginning of their careers.

Through KIPP Forward, students receive guidance in choosing schools, personalized college counseling, practical help applying for financial aid, and ongoing counseling once enrolled in college. They also have access to career-oriented programs and a strong alumni network that keeps opportunities within reach.

For first-generation students, this support can mean the difference between possibility and perseverance. Although nearly 4 in 10 college students are first-generation, too many are forced to travel that path on their own. Even when academically prepared, first-generation students are nearly twice as likely to leave college without earning a degree as their peers.

KIPP Forward makes sure students don't have to carry that burden alone. Today, Carol studies neuroscience and addictions, writes, is learning Nahuatl, and runs a college counseling program for first-generation and low-income students. He is thriving both academically and personally while still carrying his East Los Angeles roots with him.

“I think it's wonderful to be able to encourage others and continue this cycle of giving back what was once given to me,” says Carol. “I am passing on the knowledge I have acquired in East Los Angeles; KIPP and Stanford are places where I can develop academically.”

For more information about KIPP SoCal visit https://www.kippsocal.org/about/index