Vanessa Torress
 |
| This Quarter Mission Dignity has chosen to acknowledge Vanessa Torres for her outstanding achievements as a student at Heald College pursuing medical assisting. Vanessa is a young woman who was born and raised in San Francisco’s Tenderloin and Mission District. She comes from a family that has struggled financially. Vanessa’s mother spent a lot of time working trying to provide for her four children including Vanessa. Vanessa dropped out of high school her freshmen year and began working at jobs that required her to put in 40 hours per week. She worked at jobs that did not value her work and treated her fairly. She was a teen mother as well and after attempting to go to a community college, she felt that she needed more support so wanted to attend a smaller school to get the help and support that she was in need of. She turned to Mission Dignity for support. She was encouraged by Nancy Kahn (Executive Director of Mission Dignity) to look into attending a different college that might offer her the kind of structured support she needed and smaller class size. Nancy advocated for her to receive a special scholarship. She also received help in completing her FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) as well as tutoring in math and other subjects. Vanessa became a student at Heald College, San Francisco in 2004. Though she has struggled, splitting time to be with her two children and studying her academics, she has found time to continue with school. She does her best and has been acknowledged and placed on the Dean’s List. Out of the last four quarters, she only missed class twice, and that was due to child care issues. Vanessa has taken this opportunity because she wants more doors to be available to her and she wants to become someone who is respected and acknowledged for her strengths, “Not just another bad statistic”, as she says. She is much more happy and confident with her successes. She is going for her Associates Degree to financially secure her future and maintain her ability to support her children long term. Some words of advice that she gives to young mothers and young people in general, “Don’t give up, I come from a family of struggle, you need to keep going. Take advantage of things that are out there for you.” Here is an individual who has struggled, is overcoming the barriers and succeeding. She is becoming a very wise person in our community and in this world. Continued luck to you Vanessa Torres! We are so proud of you! written by: Leslye Lugo |
