Even though soccer had always been a big part of his life, the suspense was nerve wracking. SLI scholar Everth had never before tried out for a school athletic team, and that February night, along with 60 or 70 hopeful peers, he watched as the coaches filled their rosters.

Today, it’d be different. But then, back in November, the Richmond Times-Dispatch headline quoted her as saying, “I didn’t know that I could make a difference.” Because now Fernanda knows she can.  A Scholars Latino Initiative (SLI) scholar and the senior class president at Huguenot High School in Richmond, Fernanda had written a letter to the Richmond mayor and schools…

(VISIT HERE TO READ A 2024 UPDATE FROM MIGUEL) Talk even briefly to Miguel, and you’ll quickly figure out that he’s a passionate learner with varied interests, Ivy League goals and a growth mindset. Although he admits to being a procrastinator – a trait shared by none other than Leonardo da Vinci, he’s quick to point out – he’s improving:…

[Updated April 2024] By the time her family left Guatemala when she was eight years old, Sofía already knew what she wanted to do with her life: care for people.  Today, Sofía is an experienced certified nursing assistant, a certified medical interpreter, and about to complete an accelerated nursing program.  She’s made a life out of caring, a passion that…