My name is Jordan Olea and I am a 7th grader at Paredes Middle School. Like all students in Breakthrough, I will be the first generation in my family to graduate from college. I remember years ago when my older sister Maria brought home a brochure about this program...
I remember my teacher telling me about an information session for this thing called Breakthrough. And since there was going to be food and all of my friends were going, I went. I had no idea that day would change my life. It was the first time anyone had ever talked...
My story begins when I was only 3 years old. My mom moved my sister and me away from an unsupportive family in Massachusetts to live in Austin. We had no contacts, no money, and no place to live. My mom was so strong! After moving between shelters and housing...
I first moved to Austin from Mexico with my parents and my younger sister when I was in first grade. The four of us and eventually my brother too, shared one room of my aunt’s house for three years, until we could finally afford our own place nearby. Up until that...
Summer is over, and Breakthrough has officially begun the fall semester with close to 1,250 middle school, high school and college students working hard to achieve their dreams of becoming first-generation college graduates. Throughout the school year, Breakthrough...