Hello!
My name is Yoselin Colin; I am Mexican-American and a 12th grade student at the Urban School of San Francisco. I was accepted to both Yale and Princeton University on full-ride.
“I would like to start by first giving a huge thank you to AddedEducation for all the support, encouragement, and love they have provided me through the college application. I am immensely grateful to have had their amazing and hard-working team by my side.”
Growing up, my siblings and I received numerous lectures on the significance of Education. Our parents commenced every lecture with, “Si estudias…” (If you study). “Si estudias…” you will go to college, and have a successful life with adequate job opportunities and resources… “Si estudias,” financial constraints will not keep you from experiencing the world and enjoying life’s pleasures.
For years, I did not comprehend my parents’ reasoning for the constant reminders at every possible moment on why education mattered; why they pushed us to sign up for all types of extracurricular activities and take advantage of all opportunities presented to us. However, now at eighteen, I understand the reason they continue to break their backs and numb their hands: the reason for our family’s American Dream.
My dad, one of four children, grew up in the small town of San Agustín Poteje, Almoloya De Juarez, Mexico. He sacrificed his chance of attending college after years of academic excellence, to support his family. He spent his days in the field growing crops which earned little for food… but he never relented. From my dad, I have learned the meaning of hard work — to persevere despite barriers in your way; I learned to look forward to the future and never lose hope.
In the same town, my mom, one of thirteen children, withdrew from school at the age of eleven, sacrificing her education and childhood to work. She learned to Survive. From my mom, I learned to face the unknown with courage; I learned the importance of remaining strong in the face of adversity.
My parents’ story is a small but significant part of MY story. Because of my parents’ sacrifices, Education has allowed me to open doors that were closed to them and the generations before them. It has allowed me to expand my mind and meet brilliant people, friends, and mentors, as well as turned many of my dreams into reality. An education that today, as a first-generation Mexican-American woman, I take advantage of at every possible moment because I appreciate the living history behind my story.
Since I was a child, my parents have given me the strength, confidence, and passion for many of my achievements. At the age of seven, political science had already taken root in my unfettered imagination – as I pondered different campaign logos for my presidential candidacy in 2040. But, at sixteen, struck with the reality that the world is far more complex than what I knew – homelessness, poverty, climate change, and so on – the goal of my seven-year-old ambition adjusted itself to the new paradigm. I knew that if I wanted change to happen in my lifetime, I had to be on the front lines, advocating for reform.
I became heavily involved in my school community: I became a leader of MultiCulti, a group of passionate student leaders who uplift marginalized voices; I became a founding member and then leader of our school’s Housing Rights Club, which allowed me to win the Yale Bassett Award for Community Engagement, in March 2022.
My passion for advocating for social justice and reform pushed me to apply and later be sworn into the City and County of San Francisco’s Youth Commission, a body of 17 brilliant and diverse youth across the City who advise the Board of Supervisors and the Mayor. My involvement in city politics and the work I have done to bring youth voices to the decision-making table also allowed me, in March 2023, to be awarded a Princeton Prize in Race Relations Certificate of Accomplishment.
My parent’s hard work and years of sacrifice, have given me agency and power today to be accepted to two of the best universities in the world – Yale and Princeton. It has truly been mind-boggling to see the hard work I have put into my education since I was ten years old, and the support of my parents, siblings, friends, and every teacher/mentor who has guided me, come to fruition.
I am beyond excited to continue my commitment to policy reform and using the knowledge and experiences I’ve acquired at whichever University I decide on attending – for which there is truly no wrong choice! Hopefully, one day I will be able to look back at my seven-year-old self and make her dream come true.
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