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And with that, Jeanette Marie Reynoso received some of the worst advice ever given by a college counselor. Reynoso was shocked. She thought the indifference and casual cruelty she encountered in her youth was behind her. But she dried her tears, picked herself up and enrolled in Seminole State College, the first step on a path that has led her to UCF and halfway to realizing a lifelong dream.
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But her own experience with schooling 麻豆精品 S� and with life 麻豆精品 S� started out rocky. As a young girl growing up in Bergen County, New Jersey, Reynoso never knew her father. Then, at the age of 12, her mother dropped her off at a sleepover and never came back. Reynoso 麻豆精品 S檚 sixth-grade reading teacher helped her get into foster care, but the group home she ended up at didn 麻豆精品 S檛 allow her to attend school. A teacher would visit regularly, but the lessons were basic and unstructured.
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Reynoso moved on from that facility at 14 and was finally able to attend high school. But having gone without formal instruction for so long, she struggled. Reynoso dropped out a year later and started working full time. Then, when she turned 18, she aged out of the foster care system.
麻豆精品 S淭he director of the group home said, 麻豆精品 S楾he state won 麻豆精品 S檛 pay for you to stay here anymore, 麻豆精品 S� and I asked her what I was supposed to do, 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� says Reynoso. 麻豆精品 S淪he said 麻豆精品 S楢 lot of people go to college, 麻豆精品 S� and I said 麻豆精品 S極K, I guess I 麻豆精品 S檒l do that. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�
Reynoso got good scores on the SATs and was accepted to all five colleges to which she had applied. She settled on Fairleigh Dickinson College because it was right around the corner from her group home. For the first time in years, Reynoso was felt hope, pride and a sense that the worst might be behind her. But those positive thoughts were shattered on move-in day at the college.
麻豆精品 S淚 got there and everything was out of my league, 麻豆精品 S� says Reynoso. 麻豆精品 S淓veryone was there with their parents, moving into the dorm, and I showed up by myself carrying a black plastic bag. I had the clothes I had taken from my group home and that was it. I remember just crying my eyes out. That was in August and I only made it to October before I left. 麻豆精品 S�
After her false start in college, Reynoso spent a year volunteering for AmeriCorps, an experience that rekindled her passion for teaching.
麻豆精品 S淢y year in AmeriCorps was in one of the roughest school districts in New Jersey, and it was the most transformative year of my life, 麻豆精品 S� says Reynoso. 麻豆精品 S淚 wrote an after-school literacy program for kids in kindergarten through eighth grade. 麻豆精品 S�
Not long after that, Reynoso met Miguel, the man who would become her husband. Suddenly, she went from having no family to being embraced by a huge one.
麻豆精品 S淲hen I was in the foster care system, I didn 麻豆精品 S檛 have any family, 麻豆精品 S� Reynoso says. 麻豆精品 S淲hen my husband and I met, I said 麻豆精品 S楾ell me about your family, 麻豆精品 S� and he said 麻豆精品 S榃ell, I have 12 aunts and uncles and dozens of cousins. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�
Most of her husband 麻豆精品 S檚 family lived in Florida, so they decided to move to the Orlando area. After having three children, Reynoso decided to go back to school to be a teacher. She started inquiring at local colleges, which led to that disheartening interaction with an academic advisor.
麻豆精品 S淚 left that meeting in tears. I said to myself, 麻豆精品 S榃hat was I thinking? I 麻豆精品 S檓 meant to be a stay-at-home mom, 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Reynoso says. 麻豆精品 S淢y husband said, 麻豆精品 S楧o not let this one person dictate your future. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�
With support from her husband, she enrolled at Seminole State College and immediately set about proving the advisor wrong. Reynoso earned straight A 麻豆精品 S檚 throughout her time at SSC and finished with a 4.0 GPA, all while balancing her classwork with her responsibilities at home.
After earning her associates degree, Reynoso took advantage of the DirectConnect program to continue her schooling at UCF. At first, the transition was overwhelming.
麻豆精品 S淭he first time I stepped foot on campus, in January 2020, I remember thinking, 麻豆精品 S榃hat am I doing?, 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� says Reynoso. 麻豆精品 S淭here were flyers up everywhere for different clubs and events and I 麻豆精品 S檓 thinking 麻豆精品 S榊eah, I go to bed at nine o 麻豆精品 S檆lock. How am I going to fit in here? 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�
It didn’t take long, however, for Reynoso to settle in and start taking advantage of the some of the programs UCF offers to support students.
麻豆精品 S淚 saw a flyer that said 麻豆精品 S楪et on the Knight track. 麻豆精品 S� If you took a bunch of different steps, like meeting with an academic advisor, going to two workshops and meeting with SARC (the Student Academic Resource Center), you 麻豆精品 S檇 get a $500 scholarship, 麻豆精品 S� says Reynoso. 麻豆精品 S淭hat 麻豆精品 S檚 how I ended up applying for McNair Scholars. It was a catalyst for all of these really cool things that I got to do. 麻豆精品 S�
Then along came COVID. Ironically, some of the same pandemic-driven changes that caused many students to struggle actually helped Reynoso excel.
麻豆精品 S淢oving classes online made it really easy for me to be active and participate in things where I wouldn 麻豆精品 S檛 have been able to be on campus in person, 麻豆精品 S� Reynoso says. 麻豆精品 S淪ome meet ups were at six in the evening, when I 麻豆精品 S檇 be in the middle of making dinner for my family. But I could Zoom while throwing together a salad. In this case, technology really helped me feel integrated and feel like I belonged. 麻豆精品 S�
Fast forward a couple of years and Reynoso has excelled in her pursuit of her elementary education degree. She participated in the Phillips Academy Institute for Recruitment of Teachers (IRT) summer program, which prepares future educators to pursue advanced degrees. Last summer, Reynoso also studied virtually at Vanderbilt University as part of the Leadership Alliance summer research program.
In addition to all of her other responsibilities at school and at home, Reynoso finds time to volunteer, helping students through a number of UCF programs, including Saturday reading camps and the university 麻豆精品 S檚 bookmobile initiative, which gives away free books to kids who don 麻豆精品 S檛 have access to a library. Reynoso also volunteers on an ongoing basis at the ACE (Academic Center of Excellence) school in the Parramore neighborhood of Orlando.
All this experience in the field left Reynoso well prepared for her current role as a full-time student teacher at Bentley Elementary School in Seminole County.
麻豆精品 S淲hen it was time for me to be in my own classroom, I was ready, 麻豆精品 S� she says.
On the cusp of both graduating and turning 36, she 麻豆精品 S檚 still not done proving that old advisor wrong. Reynoso was recently accepted into the UCF master 麻豆精品 S檚 program for elementary education. From there, she hopes to become a “triple knight,” earning her doctorate in the same subject. Ultimately, Reynoso wants to become the superintendent of a school district, a position that will allow her to exercise her love of teaching while “trickling down” some of the lessons she’s learned over years of being involved in education and activism.
Her message to other parents is to not shy away from filling up their days in pursuit if their dreams.
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麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 so glad I took the leap, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淏eing a Knight really has changed my life. 麻豆精品 S�
