That's what Jacob Roe thought when he logged into his Stanford portal as an applicant and read his acceptance letter...
Situation: Was raised by a substance-addicted mother and incarcerated father. Neither went to college. Jacob overcame drug addiction at 17, narrowly completed high school, lived by himself in a "shed" while working nights at a nursing facility.
Nudge: Got into a deep discussion with a barber. The barber told Jacob he was smart and should go to college. Jacob blew him off because he didn't have the know-how or means.
Aha Moment: Was scrolling through Sierra Community College website and discovered they have dorms. Thought: "If I emancipate from my parents and complete the FAFSA, I can qualify for tuition and board." He toured Sierra College the next day and registered the following day.
Follow through: Took pre-med classes, studied hard, got all As, got deeply involved with college clubs, organizations and political efforts. Re-acquainted himself with his native-American heritage and learned of the suffering and inequities of his people. Started focusing on advancing the sovereignty of American Indian/Alaska Native communities through driving reform in federal Indian law and policy. Gained official citizenship in a tribe, changed his major to political science.
College Applications: Worked with Katheryn every 2 weeks for 10 months to make his essays, activities and supplemental material shine.
Outcome: Was accepted to UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Davis, UC San Diego, UC Irvine and, yes, Stanford University. Only 1.5% of transfer students are accepted to Stanford each year.