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Avagyan
[You need more green.]

Student
[I need orange.]

Avagyan
[You need orange? Okay, let's find it.]

My parents and I moved here from Armenia when I was six years old. My brother and I grew up translating legal documentation and school paperwork. There was really no support from our parents in the college application process because they didn't know where to start with that.

Remind me what your plans are after high school. As a college adviser through Virginia College Advising Corps, I work with students who come from limited income households, single parent households, parents who are incarcerated. A lot of my students are first generation college students.

[Perfect.]

The college application process is intimidating.

[Hey you guys, when are we wearing these shirts? May 1st, May 1st. May 1st. That's right. Decision day. Decision day.]

Danielle Scott
I've always wanted to go to college. Like that's something I always dreamt of. I'm also first generation. It helped me so much to have Ms. A be like, ‘Oh yeah, I completely understand, and I got you.’

Avagyan
You have worked since you were 16. So, you know the worth of money, and you know how expensive college is. But it's an investment, right?

Danielle Scott
Yeah.

Avagyan
So I think that’s incredibly inspiring.

Cason Dulaney
Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted to go to UVA. It's been such a dream for me. I just was really worried that I wouldn't stand out in a field of very qualified applicants. The first time that I met with Ms. A, and I knew she was a UVA alum, and she just made me feel more confident about myself.

Avagyan
I see a lot of myself in my students. I was the first generation college student. I was the student whose parents were farmers. I was so worried about finances. What really enabled me and helped me graduate debt free was UVA stepping in to cover the rest of my need. It took going to UVA to realize that my ethnicity and my diversity was accepted and valued. I want my students to know that every aspect of their identity is empowered and loved.

Have you done the survey? Awesome!

Dulaney
Louisa is an underserved demographic. It's a very rural county. There's so many people, who would not have the opportunity to go to college. Because of Ms. A’s help, because of the help of VCAC, we're able to get on this pathway that's life changing.

Scott
I cried a lot to her saying, ‘I don't think I can afford college.’ And she helped me build my applications for all of my scholarships and I'm able to go to JMU on a full ride now. I wouldn't have been able to get there without her.

Avagyan
I want to continue working with students. They are my greatest source of inspiration and their resilience, and their ability to be unapologetically themselves is inspiring to me. I'm incredibly grateful for VCAC because I was able to see that building relationships with students and truly supporting them, is where I'm most fulfilled.