Hello, my name is Cash and I will be attending Stanford University this fall. I was born and raised in Merced county and previously attended Atwater High School. I decided to apply to Stanford University at 16 years old under REA with an arts portfolio. Out of the 66 undergrad majors at Stanford, I am planning to major in TAPS (Theater and Performance Studies). I have been interested in theater since high school and am very excited to be on stage throughout my college career. During my first year at Stanford, I will be a part of the ITALIC program. I will be living with 45 other arts appreciative students in my dorm. Applying under REA with an arts portfolio through the guidance of AASPIRES has been the greatest decision of my life. I am grateful for learning and my next four years at Stanford.

What drew you to working with AASPIRES?

I was drawn to working with AASPIRES because I was recommended by my sister. My sister previously worked with AASPIRES and similarly to my sister, I also wanted to attend Stanford University. With my dream in mind, I wanted to work with AASPIRES to obtain the skills necessary for me to accomplish my dream.

What was the college-readiness process like with AASPIRES?

The college-readiness process was a fun experience working with AASPIRES. I didn't know anything about applying to college beforehand. Each minute I spent working with AASPIRES prepared me for the journey waiting for me at the end of the tunnel. Working with AASPIRES taught me how the college admissions process worked, how to share my stories, and I felt that I was learning more about my identity everyday. The college-readiness process with AASPIRES felt like a big puzzle of my identity that I would need to piece together through each essay.

What would you say to students from communities like yours who are unsure about the college application process?

My biggest advice to those in my community who are unsure about the application process is that they should ease into being unsure but shouldn’t give into it. It’s completely okay to be afraid or unsure about applying to college (believe me, I definitely was). Being unsure and afraid is the first step of the college-readiness process. Coming from a small community where not many students get accepted into top colleges, I was conflicted about applying to college (let alone at age 16!).