From navigating the first week of college to negotiating a first job offer, conversations between students and coaches cover many topics. A coach becomes a student’s trusted advocate, their cheerleader, the person they turn to for both wins and failures, and a person they trust to help plan their future.
89 Bay Area students from low-income backgrounds earned $2.3 million total in college scholarships and are paired with Making Waves college coaches, financial coordinators, and career specialists.
At the 10th Making Waves Academy graduation ceremony in June 2024, Student Body President Simren Sandhu, Salutatorian Yoltzin Wallace, and Valedictorian Alessandro Torres gave compassionate speeches about their educational journeys.
The scholarships and coaching from Making Waves made attending UC Berkeley attainable for first-gen college student Ale Paz, who has found community on campus, studied abroad, and completed a global internship. “College has given me so much freedom to explore these opportunities and figure out what’s best for me. It’s been a great journey,” Ale said.
“I didn’t feel like I belonged in higher ed,” said Alejandro Diaz, a Wave-Maker and UC Davis graduate who shares tips for overcoming imposter syndrome in college.
Doris Martinez shares her college and career journey from San Rafael to earning a Making Waves scholarship to graduating from UC Berkeley without any student loans and starting a business career at Ernst and Young in the Bay Area.
During the 2022-23 academic year, more than 110 of our students received their degrees from more than 25 universities, with nearly 90% of our college graduates this year earning their degrees debt-free.
“Whatever you want to be in life, be the best you can be at it,” shared Allison Cubillas, a first-gen graduate from UC San Diego who graduated debt-free and started a full-time role at Meketa Investment Group.
“Take advantage of every opportunity so say yes to everything” shared Anthony Jacobo Gonzalez, a Wave-Maker from Pittsburg, California who is attending UC Davis and completing an internship as a part of the Sacramento Valley College Corps. “I just want to give thanks to Making Waves for the resources and opportunities they provide to me. Helping me pay for tuition and providing me with an amazing coach have both been fundamental to my sanity. I really appreciate them, and everything they do in helping me break generational barriers.”
Growing its mission to expand educational opportunity, Making Waves Foundation is piloting an AI college advising technology to support more students. Developed to supplement the shortage of dedicated college advisors in public schools, this resource uses artificial intelligence and automation to deliver college access content directly to students and families.
“It is an absolutely amazing feeling to know that I have made history,” shared Leajé Morris, the first Making Waves Academy alumni to graduate from UC Berkeley School of Law and the first in her family to become a lawyer. “It is truly unreal and is an absolute blessing. I would not be here without God, my mother, my Making Waves family, and the discipline that I have maintained throughout this process,” she shared. “It is very gratifying to know that I can inspire other young students of color, especially those who come from a similar background as I do.”
As you are exploring colleges and working on applications this college application season, it’s never too early to start thinking about and preparing for what’s coming your way. Here are four tips and resources to help high school students and families figure out the college process. It can be complicated – and we are here to support you!
