The success stories keep coming for one organization in Arizona helping first-generation and low-income students obtain postsecondary degrees.
College Success Arizona celebrated 36 graduating students this year from colleges statewide whom it supported along their college careers.
It’s where Valentino Lugo, a first-generation University of Arizona graduate, found the help needed to succeed.
He knew early on that with school “it was something I enjoyed doing,” eventually completing advanced placement classes and honors classes while at Pueblo High School.
He would just need a helping hand to reach the college level.
“Growing up, and I feel a lot of people say this, ‘Oh, it was rough.’ But it was a little financially unstable at times,” Lugo said. “We did move a lot for various reasons, whether it be our fault, or the landlord’s fault, so that was always kind of tough.”
However, Lugo’s parents made sure their children stayed on course in school.
“My parents always told my brothers and I that school was our job. They went to work, we went to school, and that was our job. So, it’s always what we focused on,” Lugo said.
During his senior year at Pueblo, Lugo learned about the organization’s mission.
“I don’t remember how I heard of CSA, but I remember just applying for it, and I was really excited. I thought, honestly, it was sort of like sort of like an underdog scholarship because not a lot of people had heard about it before,” Lugo said.
Lugo is the type of student the program is looking for, said Matt Sotelo, success adviser and workforce development coordinator, who advises students attending Southern Arizona colleges.
“We’re specifically looking for students who are basically college-ready but kind of need that financial push and need advising and mentoring services to get them over that hump and help them navigate college,” Sotelo said.
They find students from accredited Arizona high schools and who are members of one of the organization’s college preparatory partners, Sotelo said.
Lugo was a part of TRIO, a federal pre-college program developed to help first-generation as well as low-income students interested in seeking higher education.
There’s about 25 to 30 of these partners working with College Success Arizona to find students like Lugo who they can serve with academic and professional development.
Students are supported with $6,000 a year and a success adviser, who is ideally with the student through their college careers.
Lugo remembered learning early that within the organization “everyone was just so welcoming and nice.”
It’s the environment that College Success provides for its students, Sotelo said.
“We talk a lot about CSA being like a network and a family, where although you have your adviser, you’re going to get to know everyone else on the staff. And we’re all willing to help support each other’s students, too,” Sotelo said.
He add that “it’s not just checking in over the phone; we actually drive down to their campus twice a semester, check in on them, we’d host events for them and ideally, you’re with the same adviser all four years that you’re in the program.”
Established in 2005, College Success Arizona, formerly known as the Arizona College Scholarship Foundation, pivoted in 2014 from strictly awarding scholarships to expanding its mission for Arizonans.
The organization said it has helped nearly 2,000 students with more than $20 million in scholarships and mentoring services since its launch.
Currently, there are 250 students being helped with scholarships and advisers.
“I think the beauty of CSA is that they’re there. They’re always with you, they’re not holding your hand, but they’re always there just in case you need to fall back on something,” Lugo said.
Lugo’s adviser would be with him even as the native Tucsonan was in Italy during time he spent studying abroad, which was the first time being on an extended stay without his family.
“Before I left, I was asking them a lot of questions, and they gave me a lot of other scholarships to apply for that was specifically for studying abroad that were really good,” Lugo said. “It was a great time, and it didn’t even stop CSA from communicating with me.”
Lugo was paired with Sotelo, whom he had known since coming to the program, leading into his senior year at UA after his previous adviser was promoted.
It’s a relationship that provided inspiration for Lugo to complete his psychology degree after switching majors.
“Because of how Matt was for me, I would like to be for someone else, or a group of people,” Lugo said. “I would love to help people with their mental health. It’s just like passing the torch, basically.”
Now as a graduate and a part of the organization’s alumni network, Lugo knows how big of an impact College Success Arizona has within the state.
“I think the overall impact that CSA has isn’t just on each person, but on high schools and whole cities, basically showing you it is possible, you can do it and you can succeed,” he said.
