Editor: Amilcar, please tell me about your current fellowship.
Amilcar: Sure! After I graduated college, I was accepted into a national fellowship at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), which is a nonprofit in Washington, D.C. that helps increase opportunities for Hispanics to participate in and contribute to the American policy making process. When I was awarded the fellowship, CHCI helped me search for a placement in a federal agency. I was able to secure a spot at the White House Initiative for Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. This office is housed within the Department of Education and examines the underlying causes of the education achievement gap between Hispanic Americans and their peers.
Editor: How did you find out about this fellowship?
Amilcar: Throughout most of my college career I received scholarships from the Hispanic College Fund. My senior year, I was notified that I had been selected for Hispanic Young Professionals, the Hispanic College Fund's annual leadership development program held in Washington, D.C. During the program I met current CHCI fellows who told me about their experiences and later helped me through the application process. I'm really grateful I met them, otherwise I wouldn't have known about this amazing opportunity!
Editor: You are certainly doing great things. Take us back a little and explain how you got to where you are today.
Amilcar: I was born in New York City but my mother, father, and brother were born in the Dominican Republic. My mother and father separated when I was 4. I think this was difficult for my older brother, who eventually dropped out of high school, lived in detention facilities, and is now working as a welder.
By the time I entered high school my family moved to Allentown, Pennsylvania. The school district where I attended school scored below the state average and had few resources to help its students. I worked hard and got into Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, but my high school experience didn't prepare me for the level of work expected of me. Thanks to the Hispanic College Fund, I was able to get scholarships that allowed me to focus on my studies, which helped push me academically. I became the first in my family to graduate college.
Editor: Thanks for sharing your story with us. What's your advice to students who want to achieve success?
Amilcar: Whether you know it or not, someone is always using your life as an example of what or what not to do. I'd say it's important to always serve as a role model for others, especially those in your family-whether they are older or younger than you. For instance, what got me through a lot of tough times was thinking about my younger sister's future. I didn't want to just tell her to work hard, I wanted to show her. Even the rest of my family can learn the same lesson because it's never too late to pursue an education. The easiest way to be a role model is to give to your community; I volunteer with the Hispanic College Fund in my spare time by helping high school students understand why it's important to go to college.
Editor: Thanks, Amilcar! Good luck with your future pursuits.
To ask Amilcar a question about college, you can email him at amilguzman@gmail.com.
