“The financial package that I was given by Princeton was unparalleled — it gave me momentum to follow my dreams.”

“There is always one person in their family who breaks the cycle of poverty. I am that person in my family.”

“I haven’t had anyone in my family that I could go to for counsel about college, but I think it’s a huge blessing that I could be the person who paves the way for a new standard where college is normal for the generations of family behind me.”

“I did not have to take out loans that would put my family in debt in order to attend Princeton. And that is major, because my parents are still paying off their own college debt.”

“I initially expected that my college experience and my recruitment process would end up being something that I’d have to compromise on, but Princeton delivered so much more than I imagined.”

“The greatest thing about Princeton is that if you need help, you’re going to receive it. And I don’t think I could say that if I went to a different school.”

“Princeton gave me the option to actually be a student, to immerse myself in my work without having to juggle three jobs and worry constantly about paying for my tuition.”

“It’s less expensive for me to go to Princeton than it was to go to my community college. Every time I think about that, I love to remind myself: I’m so grateful.”

“I’m a lot more excited to graduate knowing that I’m not going to deal with student debt. It’s given me a lot more peace of mind and a lot more optimism for finding a career that I like.”

“Hopefully through the work that I’ve done here, and through the work that I’ll continue doing in the future, I’m impacting people in ways that I’ve never known, and extending my reach to people that I’ll never know. And there’s just something so beautiful about that.”

“The fellowship allows me to not worry about money and really be able to focus on my work and what I love, which is research.”

“Being here opened doors for me that I only dreamed of when I was in high school, and other things that I couldn’t even imagine, because I had no idea that they existed.”