The Power to Program

“Tales of Excellence, Achievement and Mentorship” or “TEAM” is a weekly series partnered with StudentMentor.org where we feature college students and young Americans from diverse backgrounds across the country who are using mentorships to move their career and educational goals forward. You will hear in their own words how mentors have helped them succeed and transform into the leaders of tomorrow.

Through StudentMentor.org, college students can conveniently find and collaborate with mentors to successfully graduate from college and embark on their desired careers.

As a young boy, Gabriel’s mother brought him to the US seeking new opportunities and a better life. His childhood was tough, but his family was strong and with their dedication to his education he was able to complete his GED and get into college. Gabriel always worked full-time while attending college and now is reaping the benefits of his labor and is just one course away from completing his AAS in Web Graphic Design with a bright future ahead. Hear how his mentorship helped him focus his online portfolio work and improve his job seeking prospects.

My name is Gabriel Valdivia and when I was 6 years old my mother brought us to the US. Growing up we didn’t have much of anything. In fact, I remember weeks on end when our only meals were varied combinations of beans, potatoes, eggs, powdered milk and Kool Aid. As an adult I’ve never had much financial success and I’ve always had low paying jobs that I didn’t like. Some years ago I remember reading a study that concluded that people with a GED earn the least and those with higher levels of education earn progressively more money. Earning more money has been one of my motivating factors but the most important reason for enrolling in college was that I wanted to set an example for my teen daughter. Financially speaking it’s been a real challenge. Fortunately, government loans covered most of my education. I’ve had to work full-time and attend college full-time. I remember many evenings where I would’ve like nothing more than to go home and crawl into bed, however I had several hours of coursework and looming deadlines. Now I’m just one Algebra class away from getting my AAS in Web Graphic Design. I would have loved to continue on towards my bachelor’s degree, but I ran out of college loans. That’s another challenge I’ll need to overcome in the near future.

The First Lady Reminds HBCU Students of Their Legacy In America's History

A&T Chancellor Harold L. Martin Sr. presents First Lady Michelle Obama with a hood signifying her honorary degree following her commencement address during the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University commencement ceremony in Greensboro, N.C., May 12, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

On Saturday, May 12, First Lady Michelle Obama delivered the commencement address for the graduating class of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University (NC A&T), a historically black university located in Greensboro, North Carolina. 

The First Lady began by noting the many A&T alumni who broke through glass ceilings in fields of law, science, and business:

You have produced some of our nation's finest leaders in business, government, and our military. The first African American Justice on the North Carolina Supreme Court was an Aggie. So was the second African American astronaut. And so were those four young men who sat down at a lunch counter 52 years ago and will stand forever in bronze in front of the Dudley building.

Mrs. Obama also retold the story about the Greensboro Four --students who did more than participate in a sit-in at Woolworths to desegregate lunch counters during the 1960s. They were also an inspiration for justice and civil disobedience during the collective effort toward equal rights for all Americans:

It all started because a small group of young people had their eyes open to the injustices around them. It all started because they decided, as one fo the four told the newspaper on the first day of the protests, that it was "time for someone to wake up and change the situation." And that, more than anything else, is the story of our nation's progress right from the very beginning.

The First Lady closed with a call to action for the 1200 graduates to not just focus on climbing the career ladder job titles, but to continue fighting to change the many injustices that still exist today:

Each generation lookas at the world around them and decides that it's time to wake up and change the situation. And we've always looked to our young people to lead the way. We always have.

So graduates, now it's your turn. It's time for you to take that baton. Take it. It's time for you to carry the banner forward. It's time for you to wake the rest of us up and show us everything you've got.

Click here to read Mrs. Obama's full commencement speech to the 2012 Graduating class of North Carolina A&T.

Heather Foster is an Associate Director for the White House Office of Public Engagement

Ensuring that LGBT Victims of Domestic Violence Can Access Critically Needed Services and Protections

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee approved legislation to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 1994, but failed to include critical provisions that would ensure that all victims of domestic violence can access vital services and protections.  Victims are victims, and, if you have been battered, stalked or otherwise threatened with violence, you should not be turned away by a shelter or denied the assistance you need merely because the aggressor is the same sex as you or because you are transgender.  Yet, the legislation approved by the House Judiciary Committee and being considered this week on the House floor would allow just that.

The guiding principle behind VAWA and each of its subsequent reauthorizations has been an unyielding commitment to the notion that no sexual assault or domestic violence victim should be beaten, hurt or killed because they could not access the support, assistance and protection that they need.  In enacting VAWA in 1994, Congress acknowledged that the criminal justice system chronically failed to respond to the crimes of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking, too often blaming victims and refusing to hold offenders accountable as violent criminals.  In reauthorizing VAWA in 2000, Congress included new VAWA programs and provisions to help particularly vulnerable populations, including younger victims, immigrant victims, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.  In the 2005 reauthorization, Congress once again strengthened the Act to improve the health care response to domestic violence, to include a new focus on prevention, and to expand protections for children exposed to violence. 

This year, the VAWA reauthorization bill passed by the Senate in April would remove barriers faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) victims, whose needs often are overlooked by law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, and victim service providers. LGBT victims experience domestic violence at roughly the same rate as the general population.  Nonetheless, recent surveys show that LGBT victims frequently are turned away when attempting to access services. For example, according to a 2010 survey by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, 45% of LGBT victims were denied services when they sought help from a domestic violence shelter, and nearly 55% were denied protection orders.