Nicole Valdez, a junior from Crystal Lake, Illinois is majoring in Middle Grades Education with a concentration in mathematics. Apart from her coursework, she is a member of the university's I-CAUSE (Illinois Coalition Assisting Undocumented Students Education) organization whose mission is to create an alliance of undocumented students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for representation, resource gathering, and access to postsecondary education. She also contributes to the campus UI7 network's En Vivo Contigo, the first all-Spanish news broadcast at the university and currently the only Spanish-language news show in central Illinois.
Nicole chose Illinois because of the College of Education's great reputation. Upon graduation, her goal is to be an educator back in her hometown where she first discovered her passion for teaching. She is very thankful for the Shaw and Lillian Terwilliger Scholarship for helping her pursue her higher education journey as a first-generation college student.
“Thank you for your generous support. Your scholarship allows me to pursue my dreams and opens doors to unforgettable opportunities that will help me become the best educator I can be. As a first-generation student, this scholarship motivates me to continue to work toward my goal of becoming a middle school math teacher. It also helps lower the cost of my tuition and the amount of hours I need to work during my time here at the University of Illinois. Coming from a low-income family, I often have a constant worry about being able to pay for higher education, but with the help of these scholarships I will have more time to focus on my coursework rather than working extra jobs to afford college. Plus, I am looking into going abroad during my time at the University of Illinois and this scholarship will help alleviate those financial barriers.” - Nicole Valdez