SBCC Promise student Noelia Romero says that her first year at Santa Barbara City College was an adjustment. She attended a small high school (Carpinteria HS), and experienced “a bit of culture shock” when she first arrived at college. After settling in, she was happy and no longer felt lost.

“I really appreciate all of the resources at SBCC, as I need all the help I can get with preparing to transfer to a university,” explained Noelia. She is thinking of applying to nursing programs in the future, but says she may start by majoring in health sciences first, and then decide if she still wants to pursue nursing as a career. She first became interested in nursing because she loves the idea of helping others in a medical or healthcare setting.

Noelia is a first-generation college student, and comes from a single-parent household. “My mom wasn’t able to contribute to my college education financially, so the SBCC Promise has made a big difference for me. I am able to attend college full-time without worrying about how to pay for books and supplies. Without the SBCC Promise, I don’t think I would have been able to afford going to college.”

While she was a bit worried in high school about attending SBCC, Noelia says she loves it. “I know that I made the right decision to attend this school. And I am thankful to the SBCC Foundation for providing the Promise, because without it I would not be here, pursuing my education and a career.”

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