Beyond the Dream (2022)

[bunniefuu]

[Luis]

Remember that you're out there,

you're representing El Paso.

And you're representing

a beautiful community,

and what you have to give

is-- is tremendous.

So make sure you use that,

and make sure

you let people know

what you're about,

what you can accomplish,

what you're doing here.

Really put it into action

when we get up there.

Let people know,

"Hey, you know what?

I'm here, I'm from El Paso,

and this is all

that I can contribute."

And our hope

is that you go out there,

you get an amazing education,

and then you come back

to your hometown.

And you give all that

back to your city.

And back-- All that back

to a new-- a new generation.

And kind of continue

this network

of young, smart people

making a difference

in their community

and making a difference

in other young people's lives.

And, you know,

just turn El Paso around

and create

a brand new trend where they--

We have a bunch of super smart,

super educated,

awesome young people

just making a big difference

in their community.

[Daniel] And I hope

that after today,

you can start the journey

to start marketing yourselves

as young professionals

that are representing

a part of Texas

that is typically

underrepresented

when it comes to education.

You guys

are the next superstars.

You guys

are the next presidents.

You guys

are the next the politicians,

lawyers, doctors, educators,

that are really gonna

make a difference

based off what you're seeing,

based off

the people that you're meeting

and based off the tools

that are being provided to you

like we did today.

I hope that after today's notes

that you guys have,

that you--

that you go home

and you take a look

at what you have

and you start really

putting your dreams into goals.

Because like I said earlier,

dreams without goals

are just dreams.

You can't do

anything with that.

You guys have to know

that you're good enough

to get into these universities.

Just because

it has a name--

Yes, it's a title,

and it carries weight,

but you guys are important,

you guys are smart enough,

you guys are good enough

to get into these universities.

And you need to know that.

Because a lot of students

don't have that motivation.

You guys have your parents

here as well, too, pushing you,

because they understand

the importance of an education.

We wouldn't be here

if our parents didn't have--

If we didn't have that

same support from our parents.

Because,

you know, for-- for us,

maybe our parents

didn't even go to school,

but they understand

the value of an education.

So, it's not about,

you know, you--

College is not for everybody.

An education

is always for everybody.

You never stop learning.

So, that's what you have

to aspire to be.

And I hope

that after today,

you guys have

some of the small steps

to get you to that point.

[inspiring music plays]



[calm music plays]

[students chattering]



[Luis] There's a quote

that says, you know,

"The two most important days

of your life

are the day you're born

and the day you find out why."

Coming from the background

that I did,

my parents being immigrants

and coming over to our country

to give me a better life

and growing up

in public housing

and being surrounded

by students

who didn't have much,

me being one of them...

education is always something

that can give you a way out.



When I was 15,

I started working a program

called Youth Teaching Youth,

working with

low-income students

and tutoring them,

and helping them not drop out,

make sure they're successful

through high school.



I worked in elementary school.

I was a substitute teacher.

I was a college

readiness coordinator

for a very long time.



We were part

of the first group,

you know,

to implement this program.

So, it was something

that had never

been done before.

So, Mr. Valdez and I would,

you know, talk,

you know,

we had general meetings.

I mean,

I had never met him before.

However, we--

we did have one specific trip

where we went

and we were, you know,

we were checking out

the school.

One thing that I did

notice right away is that

Mr. Valdez was as driven

as I was.

[students chattering]

We started kind of,

you know, sharing our--

our goals for the future,

and we got to know

each other better,

and we would compete

against each other, you know,

for how many students

can we help get scholarships?

How many students

can we get into--

into universities.

[Francisco speaking Spanish]

[Rosa speaking in Spanish]

Why are we limiting

what we can do to help students

to just the students

in our high schools?

Now, wouldn't it be great

if we can share our knowledge

or what we know

or what we can do for students

to students

from all around the El Paso?

I just said, you know,

"Are you willing to--

to do this and take this on?

It's-- it's a big endeavor,

you know,

it's-- it's two people,

you know?

And we're gonna try

to make a big difference

in-- in our--

in our city."

And he agreed, and he said,

"Let's-- let's go for it."



[Daniel] I come

from humble beginnings.

My mom was an educator

for 40 plus years.

My dad worked

for the government.

My mom did have

formal education.

She graduated from

[indistinct] high school,

then went on to UTEP,

graduated top of her class.

In terms

of the educational background,

I do feel I have a good,

solid base for that,

but I never saw myself

as an educator myself.

That was, like, the farthest

from what I ever wanted to do.

I always wanted

to be an architect.

That was, like, my thing.

In terms

of my formal education,

I did attend St. Patrick's,

then came over

to Cathedral High School,

graduated in '99.

Where this experience

actually shaped

what Undergrads

College Mindset Academy

would eventually become.

Because my experience

as a high school student

taught me that even though

I was at the cusp of being

one of the top students

in the top 10%,

the level of service

that was given to me

wasn't all there,

so I kind of

had to fend for myself

in terms of when it came to

the college readiness process.

The classes were great,

teachers were-- were--

were amazing.

The mindset was there,

but never did I feel

that I was pushed

to explore other opportunities,

because the messaging

to me was,

"You know what?

You're not at that level."

[students chattering]



So, when I first

entered college,

my thought process was, "Wow!

I just went through

that whole entire process

not even at least feeling

that I was being helped."

I can just imagine

what the rest of the community

is going through

in order for them

to get to college.

And I was one of the lucky ones

that actually got a chance.

But, the fact that

I was able to blossom at, uh,

UT Arlington,

and then make my way over

to UT Austin,

where I then graduated,

and then came back to El Paso

to finish off

my masters at UTEP was--

Has just been an amazing road.

He says

"I'm gonna start [indistinct]."

I said, "Are you sure

that's what you want?

Go for it.

It sounds good--

it sounds good.

And if it's something

that you like, don't stop.

And it will work for you."

And it was really so exciting

because he was trying to help,

you know,

this young generation right now

that he's working with.

Taking them

to other universities,

away from El Paso,

so they can see

that there's something else

outside El Paso.

I asked Daniel one time,

"What do you wanna do

in life, son?"

And he told me,

"I wanna help people."

How many jobs are--

are out there...

that you can really

help somebody?

That people can come back

and tell you, "Thank you.

Because of your effort,

I did this,

and I became this

and I became that."

When he told me

that he wanted

to start this business,

well,

I never told him that I,

you know,

I mean, I just--

I just shined within myself.

Occasionally,

I would tell him,

"Son, you know what,

let me tell you something,

sonny.

You make me very,

very proud

of what you're doing."

[rain drizzling]

[Daniel] We were both doing

our MBA programs here at UTEP

and we were looking at

different

business opportunities

and we had various ideas,

and that's when him

and I had the conversation

about why don't we go

into a business

or start something

that we're familiar with?

And the one thing

that we both had

the same type of experience

in was college readiness.

So, why don't we

do a business

that has to deal with that?

Because that's what

we know how to do.

We're at our

prospective schools

and we had both achieved goals

when it came

to the number of students

that were being accepted

into universities,

the number of scholarships

that had been awarded

to our students,

we broke

and we set new records

for our campuses that,

for some of them, still stand,

some of them have been broken.

But, just to be able

to be in the forefront

of-- of setting the tone

for college

is something that we knew

how to do and how to do well.

Because there's nothing

that exists in El Paso,

and even up to today

we're the only company

that's still providing

this type of service,

to take students

out of their own element

and show them

what these colleges

are all about.

And if they can

call this college their home.

The idea was born

and we were coming up

with different names,

and undergrads has--

Had always been something

that had rang

synonymous with me

in terms of, you know,

being an undergrad,

working

for undergraduate admissions

and all these other

different things.

So, we decided to go with

Undergrads College

Consulting and Tours.



[Luis]

We always start our sessions

with networking, right?

So, we say hi to each other,

we get to practice

our handshakes,

we to practice our posture,

practice our eye contact.

And of course, practice,

uh, public speaking.

Undergrads College

Mindset Academy

is a program that's designed

for high school students

to not only learn

the different processes

of how to navigate

the college readiness process,

but it's also

an opportunity for them

to actually visit

the schools of their dreams.

So, we have

a jam-packed day for you today,

but hopefully

when you leave here,

you're gonna have the resources

necessary for you guys

to stand out

when we go on the tour.

So, students

get the opportunity

to not only tour the college,

but they also get the chance

to talk

to admissions recruiters,

financial aid directors,

sometimes the deans

of these universities

and program directors,

to really get a feel

for what it's like

to step foot

on this campus

and what it's like

to be a student

at a Harvard,

at a Yale, at a Princeton,

at a Swarthmore,

at a Georgetown.

And to really talk

and get that perspective

from students themselves

of what life

is gonna be like

once they step foot

as a freshman

on their college campus.

[Luis] Mr. Valdez

will time you guys,

and we're gonna give you each,

uh, 30 seconds to go ahead

and you're going to

greet each other.

Remember, every single time

you shake hands,

you say,

"Hello, my name is..."

The first question

you're going to answer is,

"How has social media

affected your life

or the life

of those around you?"

This exercise that the students

are currently doing,

um, is something

that is crucial.

Crucial to our program

and crucial

to our participants.

Uh, we don't only focus

on the academic aspect,

but we also focus

a lot on business, uh,

soft skills as well.

So, here they get

to practice handshakes,

they get to practice

eye contact,

they get to practice

posture,

um,

a free-flowing conversation.

Um, we need our students

to not be afraid

to go out with the stranger,

shake their hand,

and tell them

all about themselves, you know,

in an effort to further

their academic career.

[students chattering]

This program

develops students through

how to select a college,

how to communicate with them,

how to write

a personal narrative,

how to do an elevator speech,

how to properly shake a hand.

Switch. Go.

Let's go, guys, you guys

are introducing yourself, go.

[Daniel] All

of the different soft skills

that are gonna make

our students more presentable

and have them stand out

as being more marketable

when it comes to being selected

by these universities.

And all of this,

we're doing it with games,

so they don't really realize

that every time

we're playing games,

they're practicing these skills

that they need to work on.

Because when we get to Yale,

when we get to Harvard,

they're going to shake

somebody's hand,

and it's important

that they shake it correctly,

that they have

a proper posture,

that they're making

eye contact,

that they are enunciating

or that

they are speaking properly.

But then, it gives them

the opportunities

to fully immerse themselves

with the experience

of what these colleges

have to offer them.

The goal here

is not five minutes,

but the goal

is gonna be 30 seconds.

All right?

And let me tell you

why that's so hard.

Because right now,

when we have you guys

actually write your speech,

your elevator speech,

and we'll have you time it,

most of you all are going to

come in over a minute, easy.

Sometimes two minutes,

sometimes three minutes.

Because you write so much.

And it's not because,

um, you're full of yourselves

or you like to write

about yourselves.

It's really hard to write

a concise 30 second speech

on what you want to accomplish

and how you're going to

accomplish it.

We focus on things

like an elevator speech.

You know,

so when a student is asked,

"Tell me about yourself,"

a student is ready to go.

There's gonna be no hesitation,

there's gonna

be no awkward silence,

there's not gonna

be any stuttering,

or "mmm,"

or anything like that.

Our students

are gonna be rockstars,

and they're gonna know

exactly what they're gonna say.

What I did is that

we have prepared

some instructions for you.

Simple instructions.

Okay?

Um, these are adapted

from an elevator speech

for a business

professional.

So, for those of you

who might not be aware--

Parents,

you're probably aware of this,

but in business,

sometimes you have 30 seconds

to present what you are,

what your company does,

what you hope to accomplish.

There are so many opportunities

available to our students

and what we had seen,

what we have noticed

over the years,

is that our students

are very capable,

but one thing that kind of,

you know,

keeps them

from achieving,

is that they're just

not exposed

to all of the possibilities.

We're gonna move into our

business cards portion. okay?

So, what's gonna precede

an elevator speech all the time

is you handing somebody

a business card.

Our students prepare

business cards.

Every single

one of our students

will have

their own business card

while we're on the tour.

This is something

they can hand out,

and believe it or not,

these make a great impression.

They actually look surprised

when you hand it to them.

I didn't put

a picture of myself

just because

I didn't want to,

I didn't feel like it.

But, I did something

that kind of stuck

with the person

that I was with,

which is the watercolor.

You see-- If you can see,

it's my name in watercolor.

That actually made

a big conversation topic

with the woman

from Georgetown.

And then, like,

six months later,

she came to El Paso.

I came up to her

to tell her who I was

and I showed her

my business card again.

And the minute

she saw her--

She saw it, um,

she knew who I was.

She told me she remembered me

from this trip,

from the group of students

that came to the school.

So, she actually

kind of remembered me

because I didn't put

a picture in it.

The need is definitely

necessary here in El Paso

to help expand

the minds of our students,

give them that opportunity

to have them dream big,

and to give them

that opportunity

for them to say,

"I can do this.

I can become more

than what I thought I could be

because this is all I know.

There's so much more

going on in the world

and I can

be a part of that too.

And I can also help

make a change

in the world

that I'm living."

[Luis] We have

close friends of ours

who are Harvard

and Stanford graduates

who talk about

how you are going to make

coming from a border community

like El Paso

a positive on your applications

and your personal statements.

A lot of our students see that

as something negative.

We focus on letting them know

that that is a positive

and that's a strength

and the realities they're--

That they're living

day in and-- and day out,

make them

a very strong candidate.

The fact that most

of our students are bilingual,

they know what life

on the border is like.

They are dealing

with the issues

that many people

are only seeing on the news,

where we have, you know,

6, 7, 800 immigrants

coming through

our ports every single day.

Our students are living that.

They're living

the reality every day,

and it is something

very, very powerful.

- Good morning, guys.

- [students] Good morning.

Good morning and welcome to

our second to the last session.

Uh, we are going to be having

a little bit more fun today.

You are going to be building

a spaghetti tower.

First, we're gonna cook

the spaghetti.

We're just gonna make it

really hard to make the tower.

- [students chuckling]

- Just kidding.

[chuckling] But yeah,

so, we're gonna start off

our session, uh,

with a little bit

of team building.

Okay, so, I'm--

I like that a lot of you

are talking to each other,

a lot of you are laughing.

Um, and that's what

we need to do

is start building that bond

a little bit tighter because,

like I said, you're going to be

living together

for a whole week, okay?

Like,

literally living together.

You will create

a very close bond

while we're

on the tour, okay?

So, if you start

forming that bond now,

you know,

that-- that's even better.

Um, everybody who goes

through our tour

remains good friends

after the tour.

And the cool thing is that

they all help each other

with-- with their

college application stuff,

any questions,

any, "Oh, what did you put

on your essay?

Oh, what did you put here?"

Um, everybody collaborates.

And it's an--

it's an awesome thing to see.

[Daniel] Part of the success

of you in this program

is, like Mr. Martinez

and I have said,

is just following through

on that commitment

that you guys

have set forth from

when from day one,

here with Undergrads.

So, instead of looking outside

the window and figuring out,

"Well, what is it going to

take for me to be successful?

The only person

you need to take a look at

is yourself in the mirror.

Because you're the one

who has to put in the work,

you're the one

that has to actually do

the physical hard stuff

that nobody sees

behind the scenes,

to get to where you want.

Dreams without goals

are just dreams.

What that means, and the reason

why I emphasize that a lot

when I give my talks,

is that it's great to dream.

It's great to have that vision

of where you're trying to go.

But, if you don't have

a plan of action,

or if you can't sit down

and kind of map that out,

then you're always gonna

just have a dream.

You're never gonna go ahead

and take

that crucial first step

in order for you

to achieve that.

And part of that

comes through this program

where, yes,

we had a dream.

We had a dream of changing

the educational landscape

of the El Paso community

for every single

high school student.

You have 20 pieces

of uncooked spaghetti,

one roll of masking tape,

and one marshmallow,

for those of you

who haven't eaten it.

If you ate it,

you're out a marshmallow, okay?

I'm not replacing it.

You're gonna have

30 minutes as a team

to create a tower.

Use the table however you want,

the string however you want.

There's only two catches.

The marshmallow has to be

at the very top of your tower.

And number two,

your tower needs to stand

for at least five seconds

on its own.

You can be holding it

so it can stand.

So, the tallest tower

that can stand

for at least

five seconds unassisted,

will win.

[students chattering]



I wanted to create a--

a cube design

with a-- with a truss,

uh, cross-structural

"X" in the--

in the middle,

on all four sides

and on the bottom for the base.

And from that,

we could build a--

a pyramid design.

[students chattering]



[Luis]

How are you guys doing?

[female student] Yeah,

we're back to square one.

- Yeah.

- Yes, indeed.

[female student] We're working

through our failures.

That's what it is.

That's good. Is that-- You

think that's one of the reasons

why we have you all

do this activity?

I don't think so.

No. Probably not.

[female student] I think

you just wanna laugh at us

trying to, like,

figure stuff out.

What kind of skills, though,

do you think

you need to practice,

as far as us

having you do this?

Uh, structural design,

and our teamwork.

[female student]

Team building.

Teamwork, absolutely.

Team building.

[female student]

Thinking outside the box.

- Thinking outside the box.

- [female student] Definitely.

- What about shared ideas, or...

- [female student] And Geometry.

...disagreements.

[laughing] Geometry?

Yeah, that's--

Definitely you'll focus on that.

[students chattering]

[Luis] All right, so I hope

you guys had a good time.

The parents apparently had

the most fun of anybody here.

Uh, they were jumping

around and cheering.

But, not only do we do this

just to have fun,

there's a reason

why we do this, okay?

Team building, number one.

Of course,

you get to work with a team.

When you're in college,

do you think the majority

of your assignments

are going to be individual

or teamwork?

Always,

when you are in the workplace

and you have your career,

do you think most of the time

you're working by yourself

or with a team?

A team.

So, all of us who say,

"I don't like working

with others."

Students who say,

"Can I do it by myself?"

It's very important

and a very practical skill

to learn to work with others.

To take in other people's ideas,

to disagree with people's ideas,

because a lot of times

a better idea

comes out of that.

Assignment of roles,

did anybody on the table

automatically take

a leadership role?

Did anybody just all of a sudden

start telling others

what they're gonna do?

- [students chuckling]

- Raise your hand if you did.

- [students chattering]

- This guy.

Yeah, I-- I no-- I noticed you.

I know what type

of leader you are, too,

because your table's scared

of you right now.

Okay,

so after that fun activity,

now we're going to move on

to the actual business

of the session,

which is gonna be

the Show Me the Money section.

Okay, we're gonna talk

about financial aid.

So, the very first one

I want you to

really take a look at

is gonna be this one here,

uh, that has

the different vocabulary words.

You need to know what

you're getting yourself into.

There's a lot of

vocabulary words

that are gonna be

thrown at you

when it comes down

to financial aid,

when it comes down to actually

making your final decision

as to where

you're gonna go.

So, this sheet gives you

some of the most utilized words

in the college speech

when it comes to financial aid.

So, let's take a look

at the first page.

I'm just gonna go ahead

and highlight

some of the most important ones.

[Luis]

We show them

how to properly

structure an email.

How do you send an email?

How do you write it?

You know, how do you start it?

How do you end it?

We show them how to find

the contact information

for their college recruiters

from their area.

They start working

on Common App, on Applied Text.

As they create

their accounts,

they already know

what it's going to be like.

There's been so many people,

so many students that we--

that I've talked to

that said,

"I want to become this,

"but I don't know

how I'm going to get there."

That's okay.

As long as you stick

to the process

and you--

you believe in yourself

and that you're gonna get there,

you'll--

You're gonna get there.

You might not get there

within the first year

or two years.

I mean, look at us.

This is our fifth year

of existence for our program,

and I never would have thought

we would have made it

to this point

only because of all the things

that we've gone through,

but the belief

has always been there.

So, just-- just with us,

with this business,

with this academy,

with this program,

students also need to go ahead

and have that same

belief system in themselves.

Parents,

you-- you said that--

that you are the foundation

for your students,

and we want to thank you,

and par--

And students, I hope

you all thank your parents,

because not all students

get to go do an activity

like this or participate

in a program like this.

Um, not all students

have support

from their parents at home.

So parents, I commend you,

we thank you very much,

and I hope your--

your students thank you as well

for what you do

for your students and--

and for their future.

Sometimes, your parents

have a lot of influence

in terms of what it is

that you want.

But again, it's also great

to also showcase

to your parents,

"You were once a teenager, too.

And didn't you have

your own dreams and goals?

So, why would you want

to stop me from achieving mine?

Especially

if they're in a direction

that's not only gonna improve

the quality of life for me,

but for the entire family."

We talk about our kids

when they're young,

we want them to become

presidents, we ask them,

"What do you want to become

when you grow up?"

I want to become this,

this and this,

and then

we encourage that.

But, as they grow older,

we tend to lose that

sense of belief in our kids.

And the question is,

why is that?

Why don't we still have

the same belief

in our students so that

they can become and achieve

anything that they want?

And that's something that we

need to go ahead and tell 'em.

You can, you will,

and you must achieve

and become everything

that you want to become,

because that

is what's gonna make

and fulfill your life

and make you happy.

- [Daniel] Good morning.

- [students] Good morning.

[Daniel]

Welcome to the last session

before we actually

go on the tour.

- Are you guys excited?

- [students mumbling] Yes.

[Daniel] You guys--

Are you guys excited?

- [students chuckling]

- Oh, my God.

The parents are like,

"Please take my child."

Please, please, please.

They come ready academically,

and we create

well-rounded students.

And not only academically,

but with the soft skills

and with the college readiness.

And it's all part of the toolkit

that we're building for them.

First, we're gonna review

the agenda.

What you should pack.

A packing list

is very important.

I will talk about

what you should be wearing.

I'll go over

what you should be wearing

every single day of the trip,

uh, to be comfortable.

Of course, the itinerary.

We'll talk about hotels,

flight information,

at what time should

we be getting to the airport,

what time will we be landing.

As customary

with all of our sessions,

we're gonna do

our meet and greet,

so if you guys

wanna go and stand up.

You should be practicing

your elevator speech.

[Luis]

Make eye-contact, please.

Proper posture.

Parents,

please participate, parents.

Everybody stand up.

Each session, uh,

leading up to the tour

develops their own voice.

It also develops

their confidence

and also develops

their soft skills

for them to be those

mini marketing machines,

so that when we do take

the tour at the end of June,

they're well prepared.

My name is Tania Rivas.

My name's Xavier Braud.

My name is Axel Ortega.

My name is Marissa Del Toro.

My name is Erica Garcia-Valdez.

My name is Brianna Jimenez.

My name is Nathan Quintana.

My name is Angela Ramirez.

My name is Andrea Gandarilla.

My name is Marissa Cisneros.

My name is Nadia Lara.

My name is Fabian Ramirez.

My name is Michel Fallon.

My name is Kya Rimley.

They have to be comfortable

with who they are as themselves

and then

with what they're trying

to go ahead

and achieve or go after.

I think that's very important

in our community today,

especially

with our high school students,

because they don't even know

where to start.

And just having that first,

you know,

seed of,

"I do want to get an education.

I do want to

go to college

or I do want to get

some type of formal training,"

is where the first steps

should start.

That spirit

of you wanting to become more

needs to be inside of you,

and you need to go ahead

and believe in yourself.

Because if you don't believe

in yourself,

then nobody else will.

For a while now,

I've been interested in, uh,

psychology, law and politics.

I want to be part of improving

the technological advances

of aircraft.

My ultimate goal

would be to start, uh,

something like

the Go Center,

a program

to help students transition

from high school

to college.

I want to pursue

a neurology degree

at Yale University.

I seek to understand

the biology and function

of the nervous system

at all levels

of analysis.

I want to be a psychologist

or a social worker.

I find great importance

in spreading love

in a world that lacks it,

which is also why

I've adapted a vegan lifestyle

to spread my love

across the world

as much as I can.

I would like to--

to be a pharmacist

to help others

and give them advice.

What I'm really passionate about

is equality and human rights

and discrimination,

so that's why I plan

to be a civil rights lawyer.

I'm passionate

about helping others,

and so I hope to major

in either biology or chemistry.

I plan to study

to become a pediatrician

or a pharmacist

to help out my society.

After graduation,

I hope to go to medical school

and hopefully

become a neurosurgeon.

I wanna help develop

new cures for diseases

such as Alzheimer's,

Parkinson's disease.

After high school,

I plan to attend

an Ivy League university

and pursue a major in biology

to become a medical student

and eventually a medical doctor,

and a minor in music

to pursue my passion

as a cellist.

I hope to pursue

a medical career

as a medical doctor.

I plan on majoring

in health sciences

because I want to become

a prenatal nurse.

Something we speak

to the parents

at the very first seminar is

to prepare themselves

for the transformation

they're going to see

in their student.

It's a very cool thing to see...

where the students

who start our program

being very shy,

very introverted,

afraid to speak out.

They don't have

those soft skills.

You know,

and a lot of our students

would describe themselves

as introverted

when we first start.

One thing

that we need to teach them

is to advocate

for themselves, right?

Not be afraid to speak out.

So, it's-- it's definitely

an incredible transformation.

And there are students

who I've seen turn into these,

you know, very outspoken,

energetic individuals.

It's a mindset that we--

that we're trying to create.

Growing up in a border city

has taught me many things.

One of them,

obviously, another language,

so I'm bilingual.

And it has also taught me

to appreciate

where I come from.

One thing

I'm very passionate about

is my community.

In my school, we're very small,

as well as a community,

and we lack

a lot of opportunities

that bigger cities have.

I believe that education

inside and outside the classroom

is key to help ourselves

grow and represent.

As of right now,

my goals are to leave El Paso

for college,

learn from

a diverse group of people,

and come back to Fabens

and share that mentality

with everybody else

and get them to pursue

their higher education.

I grew up with a lot of--

a lot of dreams.

And now,

here in the United States,

I am going to give my best

not only to prove

that I can be successful,

but a-- also because

I want to become

a professional--

professional individual

that could make

a change in society.

Since living here, I've realized

that in past recent years,

that El Paso has really grown

as a city,

and that to me makes me

really excited and proud,

since I've lived here

all my life.

So, one of the goals

I gave myself

was to help it grow even more

in the next upcoming years.

I would like to come back

to El Paso

and kind of take what I learned

in those bigger cities

and those bigger states

and bring it back to El Paso

so that I can help

the hospitals grow here

so that, in general,

El Paso grows as a whole.

I'm very proud

from where I'm from,

which is a border city,

and I know it can be

really difficult to live in.

And that's why in the future

I would love to help

low-income students

here in El Paso

to help them get scholarships

and help them improve

in their, like,

education and learnings.

We cannot just pick up

a student here

and take them to the East Coast

and expect them to make

the most out of the tour.

Our academy is focused on

preparing them

to make the most out

of the actual college tour.

But, if they don't have

a set plan on how to get there,

or the tools,

they're never gonna

go out and achieve that.

That will

always just be a dream.

So, our program always

prides itself on saying,

"Dreams without goals

are just dreams,"

because we are providing them

with those steps

for them to actually

achieve their goals

or set their goals

to make their dreams a reality.

I-- I hope you guys

are excited for the tour.

Um, now that we've

covered all the logistics of it,

um, I hope you're excited.

Uh, also know

that the rooming list

is completely at random,

and that's also kind of to--

to get you ready for

when you're in college

and you're rooming

with a total stranger,

even though you

all are not strangers.

But be ready for

that in college, okay?

Be ready for a roommate

who might

take your straightening iron

and you don't like that,

or things like that.

Okay, so again,

talk to your roommates first.

Um, we hope you're excited,

just get ready for an intense--

intense seven days.

I hope with this

being the last session,

you guys are excited

about how your life

is gonna transform

when you come back from

that, uh, plane ride from Boston

and start

the path to discovering

what it is that you

want to go out and become.

And really putting

your goals into motion.

The tour itself

is a seven-day journey.

It's an experience

that immerses them full in.

It's a fast-paced immersion

of what these

universities have to offer

and what

college is gonna be like.

At this point,

they are ready to make the most

out of the tour.

They know what kind of questions

they are going to ask,

they know how they're

going to shake somebody's hand,

what they're going to say.

I mean, they're ready. You know,

they're-- they're pumped.

We're ready to go.

Super excited

to have all you guys here.

Um, make sure that you

guys kiss your parents goodbye,

grab that extra 20

out of their-- their pocket,

their-- their wallet.

Um, but this is it, guys.

- You guys excited?

- [students] Yes.

Parents, I know

you're gonna have a fun time.

They're already

making their plans

where they're gonna go

to dinner,

where they're gonna party.

We promise to go

ahead and bring your-- your--

your child back safe and sound

and with enough

experience and T-shirts

that have them

make their decision

as to where

they're gonna go to college.

Some of these students,

they've never

left El Paso before.

So for, you know--

We've had students in the past,

and we had one this year

that had never

gone on a plane before.

So, it was a little

bit scary, you know, to--

to, you know,

have their parents tell us,

you know, "My-- my daughter has

never flown in a plane before.

What do you guys do to do that?"

Well, we sit next to the student

and we calm them down,

we tell them stories,

we tell jokes.

Uh, you know, we make

sure they get enough fluids and,

you know,

then we get on the plane

and they're off and-- and going.

Undergrads, on three. Ready?

One, two, three, Undergrads!

[parents applaud]

[Luis]

It's a pretty long flight,

so we're usually in the air

for about six, seven hours.

Land in Washington, D.C.

So, Washington, D.C. is

the first leg of our tour.

We settle ourselves in the hotel

and then the journey starts

the very next

day, bright and early.

- [birds chirping]

- [guitar music playing]

[Daniel] Okay, so, hope you guys

had a great breakfast.

I hope you guys

had a-- a great rest.

Uh, we're on our way

to Arlington Cemetery right now.

Um, I know we were like,

"Why are we

going to a cemetery?"

Well, first of all,

'cause it's a national, like,

monument type of area,

so you're gonna

have a great time.

Those of you that

have never been there,

it's very, like, somber,

but it's very, you know--

It's just an experience

in itself.

We get up, uh,

we start to visit the monuments.

We show them, you know,

some of the statues,

some of the locations

that are historic

within Washington, D.C.,

that for some of them,

they've only read in books.

You guys are in for

a fun day today, okay?

So, I hope you're--

You enjoy it. Take it all in.

Um, it's cloudy right now,

hopefully it remains that way.

Uh, we're gonna

visit all the monuments,

we're-- we're gonna

visit the White House.

Uh, you're gonna see--

you're going to be

able to see the protesters

outside the White House.

Um, there's always

a lot of activity going on.

So you guys, you know,

a lot of stuff

we've been seeing on TV,

a lot of stuff that

we've been seeing on the news,

um, you're gonna get

to see it in person, okay?

So you--

Just get ready for that,

for protesters

and things like that,

which is pretty cool

because it puts

us right there, right?

All of us from El Paso

right to where--

to where all the action

is and everything's going on.

So, it'll be a fun day.

It'll be a cool day.



[students chattering]



So, we're here at, uh,

Arlington National Cemetery.

Uh, today's day one.

So, we started

the tour by, you know,

bringing the kids out.

We have a-- a sightseeing

day around D.C.

Uh, we take in all

the national monuments.

We start with

the cemetery, of course.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Um, you know,

just let them learn

a little bit about

our-- our nation's history.

[birds chirping]

[Daniel]

It's a somber place.

It's also a place that

has a lot of rich history

and has, you know, built

our country from the ground up.

So, it's just

a-- a good place to start.

We want our students

to get a real sense

of what D.C. is all about

in terms

of the political aspect,

but also, you know,

pay their respects to, you know,

the people that have

helped build this country.

Part of that is also

having them understand

where they're gonna be living,

especially if

that's one of the cities

where they see

themselves going to college.

You know,

giving them that experience

of what's around this area

so that when they come back

and talk to their parents,

their parents are like,

"Oh, you want to go visit here?

Oh, you know this?

You know that?"

They have some

point of reference to--

to take back home with them.

To say, "I visited

these different places

and this is what this

community has to offer me

if I decide to

go to college here."

[students chattering]



[birds chirping]



[students chattering]



[Luis]

So, our students just witnessed

a Changing of the Guard

at the Tomb

of the Unknown Soldier.

So, it's a beautiful ceremony,

um, where, you know,

a guard comes, switches places

with the other guard and--

and, you know,

commences guarding the tomb.

Uh, we also got

to see a ceremony

where the Taps was played,

um, for the Unknown Soldier.

So, you know,

just things like that.

M-- most of the students

have never

experienced anything like that.

So, just seeing

those things in person,

um, have a good impact

on the students.

And, you know, many people,

especially from our--

our area, um, our community,

won't get to experience

these type of things.

So, you know,

we're just trying to open up

a new world to

these students and,

you know,

show 'em the experiences.

- [birds chirping]

- [guitar music plays]

So, I hope you guys enjoyed, uh,

being here at Arlington.

Um, it was

a pretty cool experience

and we got to see

the Changing of the Guard

as well, which is--

I hope you all enjoyed that.



This is Undergrads, baby.

This is what we do.

We change lives.

- [female student] Ow!

- And we give kids bruises.

[bus rumbling]



[people chattering]





[people chattering]

[Daniel]

The Lincoln Memorial.

That's always a-- a special one

because, again,

everyone has a penny,

and when we take a look at that,

but to have our students

actually walk the grounds

and take pictures as a group,

to walk the statue,

to go see the White House.

[birds chirping]



For them to actually be there

and experience it firsthand

is an amazing feeling.

And we have kids

that are calling back home,

they're livestreaming,

they're like, "Hey, we're here!

Check this out, Mom!"

[birds chirping]

[waterfall splashing]



We've had a fun-filled day today

just roaming

around Washington, D.C.,

taking a look at all

of the different monuments

from Arlington Cemetery

to the Lincoln Memorial

to the, uh,

veterans, to the Marines.

And right across the street

we're going to be

taking a little-- a short walk

right now to go

see the White House.

So, for a lot of our students,

they've only seen this on TV.

So, it's just gonna--

This is gonna be

a great experience for them.

We can't wait to

showcase, you know,

this is why the-- this

is why we come to D.C.,

to have that

picture perfect picture

in front of the White House

and to have them

experience what it's like

to just be outside

with the people

that are protesting and--

and that are advocating

for different types of rights.

[people chattering]



[Luis]

We do have a good time.

But of course,

us being the way we are,

we always do squeeze

in a college tour.

So, we end that day by visiting

the George

Washington University,

and we do a campus tour.

- [birds chirping]

- [people chattering]

[enlightening music plays]



I'm from El Paso, Texas,

born and raised.

Specifically, in El Paso County

in Fabens High School

is where I graduated.

Um, I just finished

my first year of college,

or survived

my first year of college.

And, um, I'm here in D.C.

and I'm interning at

the White House this summer,

so I'm very excited

to be here with you guys

and to share

a little bit about, um,

any of you interested in

public service

to talk about that route,

uh, as well as economics

and human rights,

which are the areas

that I'm currently

focusing on curricular-wise

at U Chicago.

We finished the day

by having to meet

a student from El Paso

who has put everything

we've taught them into practice.

[Rodrigo] A lot

of colleges are concerned, um,

about students who are

coming from these backgrounds,

these underrepresented

communities,

for many reasons,

but one of the reasons

is the lack of diversity.

And they're concerned

if you guys are exposed

to a different environment

that there's going to be

some sort of culture shock.

So, I think trying to

show that you can overcome it

and that you're

willing to embrace it

really stands out in

the admissions process.

I encourage you

to do your research

and to listen to what students

who are at

the campus have said, uh,

because at U Chicago,

one of the predominant, uh,

mottos is, "It's the place

where fun goes to die."

Um, and it feels like

that during finals week,

but that's not

the feeling throughout the year.

It's a great campus,

um, it's very quirky,

so students are, like, very--

It doesn't mean

they're strange, um,

it means that

they're very passionate

about what they're studying.

So, I've had

conversations with people, like,

up until midnight

about, like, medieval diets

and what the people

in medieval Europe ate

and why it was

so important to the--

the gastronomy of the region.

So, it was, like, fascinating.

You learn so much

from your students.

I think, yeah, student

body is important to study,

not just the campus,

and to see if

it's a good fit for you.

It's all business.

It's there to visit as

many schools as possible

and to learn as much as we can.

- [birds chirping]

- [inspiring music plays]

We've just about

reached the end of day one.

Very fast pace.

We have clocked in over

ten miles of walking already.

Students are feeling it.

It's a shock for them.

Uh, we--

we prepare them beforehand

about the heat,

about the walking,

about the intensity

of what it is we're doing here.

And we pack as much as we can

into every single day,

because we want

to take advantage

of every second of the day

of what we're

doing here to expose them

to as much as possible.

And it's only the beginning.

It's only the beginning.

It's only going

to get better from here.

Uh, tomorrow we start

the meat of the program,

we start

hitting the universities,

we start meeting these

high-caliber individuals

who can make an impact

for the students.

Uh, the students will get to put

everything they've

learned into practice as well.

All the soft skills,

all the training

they've been going through

with us for

the past eight months.

Uh, this is it.

This is the time

to make it happen,

to put all that to work,

and, you know,

to use it to their advantage.

To accomplish what it is

that they want to accomplish.

I've been to D.C. before,

but I had forgotten

really how

beautiful the city was

and how amazing and significant

so many of the things,

uh, are here in D.C.

I thought it was

an amazing experience.

We went to

different memorial cemeteries

and we got to experience

so many, uh, great memories,

just like this show

of the Change of the Guard.

It was such

an emotional ceremony.

It was really great.

It was very respected.

It was amazing.

I thought it was

absolutely touching.

I had a fun time looking

at all the different monuments

and just taking in

the whole experience.

I'm looking forward

to the rest of the week

because there's so many

different options

as to where we can go to school.

And there's so--

And each of the universities

are so unique in their own way.

So, I'm excited to

get to step onto the campus

to see which one

I feel is the best fit for me.

And I think I'm not

getting a true per-- perspective

of these schools by

reading them on paper,

and it's going to be cool for me

to get to actually

step on the campus

to see what they're all about.

I feel confident about my future

with the Undergrads program

and what I'm gonna be

able to accomplish and do

to improve my...

capacity of confidence.

I feel like

I'm able to accomplish more.

I feel like I have

a greater capability

in regards to

Undergrads program,

and what I'm gonna be able to do

when I-- For my future.

I'm really looking forward

to what we get to do

on the next days here.

[birds chirping]

[Daniel] We start

the next day bright and early

visiting Georgetown.

[Luis] We've been

working for this day

for many, many months.

We've been preparing.

We practice our speeches,

we have our business cards.

Okay?

We-- everything we-- we did

in the months

leading up to this,

it's time for you to put

it into practice now, okay?

You're smart, you're confident,

you're ready to go,

you're rock stars,

you're powerful.

Remember all these things

in your mind

when we're going through

what we're doing today, okay?

When you're meeting people,

remember your handshake,

remember your eye contact,

remember your posture,

everything we taught you.

It's now time

to put it into practice.

For you guys that

have traveled so far,

this is your one sh*t,

just like I told

you guys yesterday.

Show them who you are.

You've traveled this far,

why are you

gonna waste the moment?

Think about all the hard

work and all the support

that the people

that you are representing,

which is from El Paso,

have done for you.

Once we step off this campus,

you should already leave there

knowing whether or not

this is gonna be

one of your choices.

And that's what makes this tour

so important for you guys,

that you've come this

far for you to go ahead

and get all the information

necessary for you

to make your decision, okay?

The people that

you're gonna be meeting today,

those are the ones

that are gonna be in the room

looking at your

application, representing you,

saying, "We need

this person on our team."

Just like with anything

with sports or anything else,

people wanna go ahead

and pick the best players...

to have on the-- on their team

and represent

them very, very well.

So, you guys are players

and you guys

are trying to pick--

to be picked up on this team,

so make sure you

guys represent well,

not only for El Paso,

but for yourself,

because this is your future.

- [birds chirping]

- [calm music plays]

Getting ready to do our tour

and then we're gonna

do an admission session.

Super excited to be

on the campus today.

[students chattering]

[Daniel]

Georgetown is an experience.

A lot of our kids aren't

ready because they're like,

"Eh, we're going to

go visit Georgetown,"

but when they set foot

on the campus they're like,

"Wow, this is Georgetown."



We do an

admissions presentation there

and we do visit other

different organizations

that are led by students

so they can get a real good feel

for what life is like.

Your major doesn't define you.

At least that's

what I've discovered now,

because I have a lot

of friends who've, like,

majored in very specific

things here at Georgetown,

um, and they end up

getting positions in,

like, companies that do, like,

the complete opposite

of what it is they're working.

So, if you,

like, ever feel, like,

"Oh, maybe

I should've majored in this,"

or, like, you're very

stressed out about your major,

it's really not something

you should, like, worry about.

Um, what matters

is really, like,

what you get

yourself involved in,

um, here on campus

or wherever it

is you decide to go.

[Daniel]

For a lot of our students, the--

One of their biggest fears is,

"How am I gonna transition

being an El Paso student,

going to Georgetown.

Like, I don't even

know who else is going there."

And so we do visit programs

where students get

a chance to interact with, uh,

some of the students

and tell them, firsthand,

"When you become a student here,

you can join this organization

and it's like w--

we're taking care of you.

It's our own family.

We make sure that

you're taken care of,

that you go to classes,

that you have food to eat,

that you have, you know,

places to go to

get entertainment

or just relax or we, you know,

we study together."

So, it's kind

of that environment

that kind

of fosters and breeds, you know,

success from wherever

these students are coming from,

and it also

makes them feel at home.

- [birds chirping]

- [calm music playing]

[students chattering]

Typically, the first day

is taken up by Georgetown.

And then we--

we end with American.

- [guitar music plays]

- [students chattering]

[Luis] At American,

we do the same thing.

We get a private session,

we do receive a private tour.

[students chattering]



[guide]

My opinion of this university

is that it's

a really awesome place

where people who

have different minds,

but same goals in making

this world and this, like,

climate that we live in

different.

And, like,

wanting to make a change.

And this university is a place

where people have

lots of different ideas,

but come together in

that we want social justice

and we want social

change in this world.

[students chattering]



[Randall]

I'm having a good time so far.

It's been pretty--

it's been pretty cool to see

the schools that

we've gotten to go to,

and I've gotten kind

of a better perspective

as to what I want

in my future university.

And it's cool,

because every school

definitely has a different

vibe to it, and [indistinct],

the three that we've seen so far

have all three

have been very different,

so we do get to see

a wide, uh, range

of what schools have to offer.

[students chatting]

[Angela]

When we got here,

I didn't really

know much about it.

And even when we got here,

I even told some of my friends,

I was like, "I don't

think I have a good feeling

about this school.

Like, I don't

really know much about it.

I just--

I don't-- I don't know."

And then when we did the tour,

our tour guide

explained everything so well.

I even asked

about double majoring,

'cause I like to dance,

and she said

I could double major in dance

and, like, justice

and law, and they'll help me.

I really love that,

and I actually have

a really good feeling

about this school.

[birds chirping]

[inspiring music plays]

[Luis] The next day,

we hit the ground running

bright and early.

So, we get up,

have breakfast in the hotel,

and we head

straight to Swarthmore.

[Daniel]

There's green everywhere,

there's all these buildings,

it's open space.

A lot of students are

impressed by that university

because of all the things

they give back to the students.

[Luis] You will notice

that in our tour,

we visit Ivy League universities

and highly selective

small liberal arts colleges,

which a lot of our

students gravitate towards

because it's

a smaller size, you know,

less students,

beautiful surroundings.

And it's somewhere

where a lot of our students

feel safe

and feel very comfortable

because of the environment

that's provided for them.

[Tania]

It's been really fun.

I mean, I don't miss my family

as much as I thought

- I was going to be.

- Yes.

Yeah, I miss my dog, though.

But, looking at the universities

- has been great.

- Yeah.

Um, I'm glad I'm looking

at other universities,

because I was

pretty hard set on Florida.

And then even the universities

that I don't like,

I'm starting to know, like,

a little bit about myself.

- Yeah.

- Like, what I do like.

Like, I know I like

American's architecture

- better than Georgetown.

- Mm-hmm.

But Swarthmore is just, like,

- it's beautiful.

- [Brianna] Yeah, it's gorgeous.

I really like

Georgetown and Swarthmore.

Yeah, those look like you.

And then I'm also

a bit concerned for, like,

more of you guys

as well and, like,

"Oh, this looks like

a good fit for Brianna."

And I'm really excited to see,

like, which ones will I choose.



[Xavier]

This was one of my top choices

out of the universities

we were visiting.

There were a couple reasons why.

One of the main ones

was the small class sizes.

And so far, my expectations

have been met fairly well,

especially with how

well, uh, the campus looks.

It is honestly breathtaking

the first time seeing it.



[Fazila] It feels really nice

for a university to be diverse,

especially for El Pasoans,

because we're all

from different backgrounds

and we always are

trying to help one another.

And I really like the whole,

like, helping culture of here.



[Kya] I just

really love the vibe.

It's so green and pretty here.

You know, I was--

I really, really liked it,

and then when we saw the dogs,

I was sold,

because we get to pet dogs.

Like, dogs are everywhere.

I feel like

I can really belong here

and not feel out of place.

The people who I've met,

they're each very

different in their own way,

but they also make me

feel right at home, also.

Especially here,

I feel right at home, as I said.



- [bell dings]

- [clock ticking]

[Luis] So, U Penn is

night and day from Swarthmore.

U Penn is a huge school.

Very, very big campus

in the middle of the city.

You know, there's traffic,

there's hustle

and bustle, night and day.

So, we want our students to see

one end of the spectrum

to the other.

And they--

they starting forming,

you know,

their-- their-- their vision

of where they see themselves.

You know,

"Would I feel more comfortable

here at a very small

place like Swarthmore,

in the country, beautiful,

green, trees, flowers?

Or in the middle of the city,

somewhere like U Penn,

very big campus,

lots of students,

a lot going on,

a lot of action?"



[Pilar] So, the reason why

I applied to Penn

was because one person

from Yale who went to Bel Air

came to visit us,

and he told us...

"Bel Air wasn't

even on my route.

They were-- Bel Air

wasn't on my schedule at all,

to talk to you guys."

But he decided to

come and talk to us, like,

on-- By an off chance, right?

And I wasn't even thinking about

the Ivy League for myself.

I was valedictorian,

I was in all

of these extracurriculars,

but I never even thought

that that was possible for me,

being from where we--

from where we're from.

What he told us was,

you have your safe schools,

you apply to your safe schools,

you apply to

the schools that you know

you're probably

going to get into,

and then you apply for

schools where you think,

"You know what, I don't

know if I'm gonna get it,

but damn it, I'm going to try."

And so this was that

school for me, and I got in.

- [birds chirping]

- [calm music plays]



[Luis] So, once we leave

the University of Pennsylvania,

we go, uh, we leave the campus,

stop and grab something to eat,

and we head on over, actually

to Princeton, New Jersey.

And we do one

more tour that day,

which would be,

uh, visiting Princeton.



We do get to see Princeton.

As you know,

the sun is setting this evening.

It's a beautiful campus.

It's-- it's

a pretty magical experience.

A lot of students

really, really enjoy that.



One of the superstitions

is if you step on the seal,

you won't-- you won't graduate.

So, I actually

wanna come to Princeton...

at least to try to do a Ph.D.

or just try to study here.

When I first visited...

it-- it just-- it just, like--

it was like seeing,

like, a, um, a famous person.

I was just starstruck.

Because just of the architecture

and, you know,

the-- the-- a lot--

the amount of famous people

that have come through here,

it's just-- it's just amazing.

So, I had an opportunity

to come to a graduation here.

My ex-brother-in-law

graduated from Princeton.

And just

the prestige of graduating

from this university,

the value that it has,

the name

and the weight that it carries,

it's always been

a goal to come here.

I wanted my kids to come here.

- [birds chirping]

- [calm music plays]

So, that's the goal.

They want to come here

in the fall

in my ex-brother-in-law's

footsteps,

and I would like

them to come here, too, so

hopefully, you know,

we'll make that happen?

- They're smarter than I am.

- [laughing]



[groovy

and exciting music plays]

[Luis]

It's pretty life-changing

for a lot of our students,

like I said.

I mean, the first time

I visited New York,

having never

left El Paso before,

it-- i-- it was insane.

It was just magical experience.

I mean, just seeing their faces,

it's-- it's pretty rewarding.

If you get to New York,

you've kind of made it.

Like, you-- that's, like,

you're on the big stage.

Uh, that-- that's

how we kind of see it.

So, New York is very important

for our students to see,

only so they can

get that feel of--

of what it's like

to be in the prime time,

the big time.

They've actually

made it to a big city

where a lot

of things always happen,

a lot of trends

get started here.



[Andrea]

I'm really excited to be here

because it's such a big city.

And just to see

the infrastructure itself,

how many buildings there are,

how tall the buildings are.

I'm really excited

for the Statue of Liberty

because I have a lot of pride

coming from

the country that I do

and the freedom that we have.

And so I can't wait to see

what marvelous unity it has,

and the city itself, also.



It's been fun

getting to meet new people

as well as some of the students

that are here on the campuses

that we've been to,

and get their

experience and their feel

for the school itself.

It helps us to ensure

that we will be okay

if we decide to come out

here this far away from home

and that we're not alone,

and that there's

always someone with us.

And traveling with these

new friends that I've made,

um, it's been really

fun and it's made-- new--

new people,

made new experiences with them,

and even get to travel

with my best friend, also.





- [car horns honking]

- [traffic din]

[Luis] It has

some electricity to it.

And just walking in New York,

I mean, you can feel it.

It's a different atmosphere.

Um, it's 100 miles a minute,

and it's a great

time for our students

to experience something

that is the polar

opposite of El Paso,

of what our hometown is like.

[Daniel] It's the Mecca

of what it feels like

to be in a big city,

what it feels like to be

with different cultures,

and experience

a different type of life

that these students

are not used to.

[bus screeching]

[horns honking]



[Michel] New York is, I guess,

one of my favorite places to be.

I've been here once before,

but when I was small,

and now seeing it again,

it's kind of a new perspective.

All the buildings,

seeing all of the opportunities

people have here,

it's really great.



- [people chattering]

- [car horns honking]



[bike bells ringing]

- [car horns honking]

- [bike bells ring]

[inspiring music plays]

[Axel speaking in Spanish]

[birds chirping]

[Daniel]

All right, guys, so we're here

at the steps

of Columbia University.

Uh, one of the prestigious

Ivies that,

uh, is here in New York.

Uh, this campus was

established back in 1754.

Okay, you're sitting at the--

Or, we're standing at the steps

where they do a lot of their--

their commencement

stuff for graduation.

A lot of the freshman

orientation is done here.

This is one of the most

iconic places for this campus,

is that statue over

there on this lawn.

So, you guys are

standing where other people

have already

graduated and walked through.

I mean, it's

pretty much a sacred place

when it comes to, uh,

this university

here at Columbia.

[birds chirping]

Columbia's in

the middle of the city, uh,

but it is a beautiful campus.

It's one of the favorites

for our students just because,

you know,

of how beautiful the campus is

and-- and the architecture

on campus.

[birds chirping]

I'm really looking

into this university

because it is

located in New York City

and they have a ton of resources

that are available

for their students to use.

I'm also looking into

their dual degree program.

I'm somebody who,

like, is very passionate

about science, but also music,

and they have something

that allows you to get

a bachelors in science

in biology,

and also a masters in music.

[birds chirping]

[Fabian]

Columbia's on top of my list

because the name

carries so much weight,

and I love where it is located,

like, in New York City.

Like, I love the city

and I don't want

to be secluded in an area

where there's nothing around,

so this is a good school,

and the campus is really

pretty and lush and green.

It's a very, like,

well-established academy

and very academic,

which is what I'm into.

[birds chirping]

[Brianna] I'm considering

Columbia University

because standing on this campus,

the sense of community,

um, feels amazing,

and it feels like somewhere

where I could spend,

like, the next

four years or potentially

four and more

years of my life here,

especially because

the academics are great.

Um, it's in a wonderful part

of the United States,

New York City,

and because I wanna, um,

study performing arts,

I wanna minor in that,

it's such a hub,

because Broadway is here.

And I feel like

this is a-- Really a place

that I could thrive

if I work hard enough.

[birds chirping]

[Daniel] The fact

that you're actually here,

it actually means something.

I don't think it's

really sunk in to you guys yet

how important this

moment is for you guys.

The fact that you're

walking the steps of Columbia.

The fact that

you guys are actually here.

A lot of you guys, you've

been waiting for this moment.

You make the memories,

create the moments

that are really gonna

make the difference for you

when you enter your senior year.

Because when you do that,

it's gonna be a battleground.

It's gonna be

a battleground of sheer will

and determination

for you to get here.

Because everybody

back home is telling you

that you can't do it.

They've told us,

even me and Mr. Martinez,

that we couldn't

get you guys here.

You guys have the talent,

you guys have the sheer will.

Right now, the goal

is to get you guys here.

To get you guys that education

that you really need

to not only prove to yourself,

but to the community,

that we can.

[speaking in Spanish]

Are you guys excited?



This is one

of the big heavy hitters

that we're visiting today.

So, this is one

of your dream schools

that you need to make

sure that you leave here

with all the information

possible in order for you

to make your decision

by the time

you get on this

bus as to whether or not

this is going to be

one of your top five schools.



[Erica]

It's a prestigious college,

and you're like,

"Wow, I want to go there."

And so, coming here,

it really opened my eyes

and it, like, made me realize

that I really do like it.

When they talk to us

about the school,

it made it seem like

they really cared about us

with the financial

aid, and made it seem like

I would be secure, and that

if I went there,

that I would be safe.

It was such an emotional

experience, I almost cried.

It was-- [chuckling]

it was a mess, but honestly,

I wouldn't have changed

any of this for the world.

This is the reason why

I actually went on this trip

just to get to experience

this excitement of seeing

one of my favorite schools,

and I absolutely love it.

And it's still one

of my top choices right now,

and I hope to

make it in one day.

These past four or five days

that we've been here already,

there's already been

a tremendous transformation

in our students.

Our students are

taking a greater initiative,

and you'll notice

the students going straight up

to-- to people that

they want to network with,

and giving out their business

card, handing it to them,

not being afraid to engage

in conversation.

We notice these

transformations in students.

A lot of them

break out of shells.

Even with the way they're

interacting with each other,

you know,

there's a lot more interaction

between students,

a lot of smiles,

a lot of talking,

a lot of learning

from each other.

What I like to do is go

around asking the students,

um, you know,

"What schools have you liked?

Which ones have you really,

you know, have not lived up

to the expectation

that you had of them?"

They start

narrowing down their list.

You know, this school--

Maybe they add a school

that they hadn't added

before or they, you know,

maybe check off schools

that they were interested in

before and they

didn't make the cut for them,

they did not feel

comfortable in them.

And that really

is one of the major--

major purposes of this tour.

Some universities that

I was really looking forward to

turned out to be completely,

um, different than

what I was expecting.

And, um, also,

I guess another kind of shift

is just actually learning

about the school firsthand.

Like, not going

and Googling on the computer

what about that university,

but having a real-life person

talking to you, explaining

how their admissions works,

um, what they're key looking at

and how everything is

going to play out when we apply.



[cheerful music playing]

[Marissa D.]

I really, really liked it.

I like the atmosphere,

and that, to me, matters a lot.

And they do have

the major that I want,

which is psychology.

It's just a very homey place

and very comfortable,

and that-- that's

the main reason why I liked it.

[Marissa C.]

Once we set foot on this campus,

I instantly

fell in love with it.

Just the atmosphere

of once you step in, it's like--

I guess you have

to feel it for yourself.



[Kya] The independence that

you get to experience there,

and you get to live in homes,

like, these, like,

cool neighborhood feel

that you have, so you feel

like you're actually at home,

and then your school's

across the street,

um, and the gym is down

the street also.

And I really like that feel.

[bus rumbling]

[birds chirping]

[venturesome music starts]

[Daniel] Super excited

to be here at this campus,

only because it's

one of the prestigious

Ivy League universities.

Um, a lot of our students

are excited to be here today

on this campus because

they really want to come here.

So, we're excited

to have them know

what the process

is gonna be for them

to actually get admitted here.

[birds chirping]



I was probably the most excited

about this university,

at least out of my friends.

Once I stepped foot

on this campus,

I was automatically in love

with everything

that it had to offer.

But it hasn't hit me

yet that I, like, I might get

an acceptance letter one

day and I might be able to walk

into this campus

through those gates over there.

Realizing that I'm on this

tour and I'm getting to see, uh,

this university, and it's been

one of my dream universities

since I was little.

So, I'm very,

very excited to find out

if I get accepted

and I'm gonna walk

through those gates,

''cause I'm ready.

[Fabian] Brown's always been,

I think, my second choice.

And I've only ever

seen it in pictures,

so it's really cool

to actually be here in--

in the lush green gardens

and the red brick everywhere.

I want to be

a medical doctor as well,

and this is one

of the best places to go

for medical school,

so I've always had interest

in this school,

but it's really cool to be here.

[Daniel] When you

start applying to these--

to these, like, universities...

Yeah?

You're gonna need

somebody there fighting for you.

And if you have

somebody on the inside--

- [Marissa D.] Uh-huh.

- [Daniel] That you can go

and send an email, like,

"Hey, you know what,

I visited your campus

through Undergrads,

I gave you a business card."

They're gonna remember you more

and they're gonna say,

"Well, you know what,

"they've-- they

came all the way this way

to come see us

because they're really

interested in the campus.

- Uh-huh.

- We should really invest

in giving this person a sh*t,

not only to get an education,

but then to give

back and then also

to then move back

to El Paso and spread the word

as far as, like,

how awesome these universities--

this university

they graduated from."

That's, like, the other

part of the-- the program

that you don't

really see at the beginning.

You won't get

that 'til the very end,

is, like, the network.

Like Fabian was saying,

the network is so important.

And you guys don't

get it because you guys

- have never networked before.

- Yeah, that's how I was

- at the beginning.

- Yeah, you were just,

like, "What heck

are you talkin' about?

- Network? What is this?"

- I was just, like, "Oh, okay."

Yeah, we could

tell you weren't--

you know,

you could-- you could tell.

She was-- she was like

this, "Networking? Oh, my God."

No, I know it's really

good to have social skills,

because you're

gonna need it, but--

Well, she has,

like, social skills

in the fun way, though.

- No, I don't.

- [Daniel laughing]

But I just didn't realize,

like, how important it is.

Like, everything that

you're gonna do from now on,

and this is one of the,

like, the biggest skills

that we teach you guys,

you're going to

need to talk to people.

- [Marissa D.] Yeah.

- [Daniel] There's always

somebody that can connect

you to where you want to go.

You're always,

like, one person away

from knowing that other person

that you really want to get...

- Important.

- ...to.

So, that's why it's

important for you to network.

[whistle blowing]

- [lively music starts]

- [indistinct chatter]

We're here in the campus,

the Harvard Business School,

one of the Meccas

when it comes to

business and finance.

It's just an amazing time

to be here.

Waited a whole

year to come back.

They're gonna have

an opportunity to network

with some great people

here and really stand out

from the rest of their peers

when they're applying,

because they're going to have

a leg up with the private tour

that they're going

to go out and get today.

When they

stepped foot off that bus,

they were just super pumped.

They were super excited,

a lot of them

have been waiting,

and that's all

they've been talking about is,

"I want to go see Harvard."

We always strive

to give our students

that little extra.

A little extra insight

into what's really going on

- here in this campus.

- [whistle blowing]

So, just to have that feeling,

just to be from El Paso

and just to be here

on the Harvard campus,

especially the business school,

is just an honor.

[indistinct chatter]

[Walfred] Never stop dreaming

and always have big dreams.

I'm originally from Guatemala.

I was born and raised there.

I always had a dream

that I wanted

to come to Harvard one day.

I didn't know

how I was gonna do it.

First of all,

I didn't have the money,

I didn't have the credentials

to get into a school like this.

I said, like--

A lot of people told me,

"Oh, it's impossible.

You can't go there.

You don't have it."

I didn't know how

I was gonna do it, but, uh,

I knew I was gonna it happen,

because I'm one

of those persons,

and I always try to tell

that to my-- to my two boys.

That I am the kind of person

who keeps trying and trying.

And, um, I'd rather to get a no

instead of me living

the rest of my life thinking,

"What about if I'd done this,

maybe I would've got in."

So, long story short,

I moved to the States,

al-- always

with one goal in mind,

that I was gonna

go to Harvard one day.

And when I was in

Boston, I said, "Okay,

I'm a little bit

closer to my dream.

Uh, but I didn't

know how I was gonna do it,

because I was

a little bit more older,

and I couldn't get

into Harvard at that point.

But, uh,

one of the greater benefits

that this university offers,

the staff here, is education.

They don't offer

the benefits for our kids,

but they offer it to us.

So I said, like, "Okay,

if I get a job

at a-- at Harvard,

I can make my dream come true."

You just gotta find ways

how to make

your dream come true.

So, I was like, this is the way

that I'm gonna--

I'm gonna use to get my--

Make-- make my dream come true.

I started

working at HBS in 1994.

I just applied for the position.

It was-- I'm not gonna tell

you that it was easy to get in,

because I always

tell that to everybody.

It's not easy to get a job here.

I was persistent,

and I did my best,

and I-- I got the job here.

Six months later,

the minute I became eligible,

I started taking classes here

at Harvard,

and I finished

my education here.

I made my dream come true.



When we barely

first walked on campus,

I did feel really

small and intimidated,

like, I could never

get-- get into this university.

But right when we

walked in, it-- it is big,

but you feel more at home.

The students

don't look down on you.

Um, they are proud

of where they are sitting,

but they're very welcoming.

The first tour guide

or speaker that we had,

he was very inspirational.

He kept repeating

to follow our dreams,

because we never know

what might happen.

And that--

I really took that home.

I think I'm more encouraged now

to apply to

those big dream schools.

[Daniel] It's an engineering

capital of the world.

Uh, a lot of students

are interested in going there

once they find

out that they have

other things

besides engineering.

So, it's not just that

they're just specializing that.

What a lot of these

students are recognizing is that

these universities

have a lot more to offer

than just what people

have just known them for.

[Axel speaking in Spanish]



[birds cawing & river burbling]

[atmospheric music playing]

[Daniel] This is

a very beautiful campus.

It's a small

liberal arts school.

It's considered

one of the small Ivies.

We hope that

Colby will be up there,

right up there with Swarthmore.

I know Swarthmore

right now is rounding out

the top of the list

for a lot of our students.

And we hope that Colby

does the same, as well as Bates.



Here at Colby, something that

I was really excited about

when I came to work

was their emphasis on diversity.

And not just having, you know,

a big group of people here

that look different,

come from different backgrounds,

but they're actually

inclusive of each other.

And so, we know that,

of course you can't just have

one kind of student

in the classroom.

We want people from all over,

all kinds of backgrounds,

whether that's race,

geography, religion,

ethnicity, the way

that you were brought up,

because then

you can really learn

to understand

the perspectives of others

in a rich,

academic context here.

[water trickling]

I had never really

thought about Colby as,

like, one of my top schools,

but after, like,

touring it, and, like,

seeing the campus,

I, like, really liked it.

Like, all the greenery.

And, like, I know,

like, all the colleges are,

like, green like that,

but this one seemed like

the people were really close.

Like, when we were

walking through the campus,

we'd see people,

like, together laughing,

and, like,

watching a soccer game,

and that seemed really fun

and I think I would enjoy that.

[Marissa C.]

I really enjoyed this campus

because it felt very welcoming.

The tour guides were very nice

and honest with

their experiences here.

[Tania] It reminded

me a little of Swarthmore

because of all

the greenery that they had.

The design was very different.

Swarthmore had a very

Harry Potter feel to it.

And although I think

those designs are beautiful,

I feel I work more

in a traditional setting,

which is what Colby has.

And the second

that we started touring,

we could see the pride

that the students

take in their school.

[birds cawing]

[indistinct chatter]

[student guide]

I'm a first-generation student,

which means that

my parents didn't graduate

from a four-year college degree.

I didn't have any family

to actually ask or,

like, seek help from.

So, it was super tough for me,

but I really relied on

my experiences in visiting

the schools that

I was super interested in.

So, I did a lot of college fairs

and tried to do

as many college tours

as possible,

but when I came to Bates,

I was here for the admitted

student's reception.

I was paired

with an upper-classman

who was my host, and I stayed

with him in his room.

And through his experiences

and him talkin' to me

about his life here,

I was able to learn

that I-- This was the school

where I saw myself prospering.

A school where I saw myself

making mistakes.

It was a school I saw myself

trying new things.

Maybe even failing,

but still being okay in the end

because there are a lot of

people here who do support you,

and it does do a great job

of making you independent

and learning

about your experiences.



[water trickling]

[tranquil music starts]

[Luis]

Once our students are back,

we give them

about a month to process

what they have

just been through.

We stay in

constant communication,

and then we schedule

our final session,

our final seminar.

This is where we bring

all the parents in,

and all of the students in,

and we are going to review

and recap everything

that we've learned.

[Daniel]

Good morning, y'all.

[students]

Good morning.

[Daniel] All right,

you should be excited,

this is the last session

that we have of many

that we're

gonna be going through

and meeting with you

guys to make sure that

you guys

understand what the next level

of the program is, which is

for you to actually get all--

all the information

that you guys gathered,

putting it together

and deciding which college

you guys would like

to go out and attend.

We had a great time on the tour,

we had a lot of fun,

we learned a lot

about the schools,

but now it's time

to put that into practice.

And what are

you gonna do with it?

What are you

gonna do with the tools

that-- that-- that you gathered

on the tour

with what you learned?

We review the tour day by day,

exactly what we did.

What were their best parts

or favorite parts?

You know, what schools

were their favorites?

What did they learn?

What are they

gonna do from here?

We talk about goal setting.

So, okay,

now that we've done everything,

you've put all

this years-worth of work

into preparing yourself,

what are we going to do now?

What goal do

you wanna accomplish

by the end or by the--

by the end of 2019?

The ball's just dropped,

you're hugging your parents,

you're hugging your friends,

boyfriend, girlfriend.

Happy 2019.

What do you want

to go and accomplish

by the end of the year?

What do you want

to look back on and say,

"You know what,

I wrote this down

back in September of 2018

and I can believe

that I accomplished it.

I can believe

that I'm finally here.

I can believe that

this was just a thought,

and then it went to paper,

and now I'm actually

experiencing it firsthand."

Because that's what you did

when you first

joined this program.

You didn't know how it was

going to work.

You didn't know how

you were going to make it

to the colleges.

You didn't know how

the experience was going to be.

You didn't even know who these

other people were in this room.

And now look at you guys.

You guys are a family.

You guys are competing

with the rest of the country

that never even gave you a sh*t

just because they say

that you're from El Paso.

Okay? So, what goal

do you wanna accomplish?

What action steps

do you wanna go out and take

to ensure that

you guys make that happen

by the end of next year?

So that when you look back,

and the ball's dropping down

to usher in 2020...

and you're like, "Man,

I can't believe I'm here.

Isn't that-- Wasn't that

a roller coaster of a year?

Who would have thought I would

have ever got to this point?"

We assure them, remind them,

that we are always

there for their help.

I'm a-- We're always

there to-- to read essays,

to go over applications,

to meet with parents.

You know, to help prepare

for an interview.

Help go over resumes.

Our relationship with

the program is not over.

This is something that extends

in w-- You know, well beyond.

We help them with

the college application process.

Not only that,

but there are students

who are already in college,

and we're still helping them

when they ask us, you know,

for advice on a regular basis,

or for a letter

of recommendation

for an internship or--

You know,

this is a lifelong

relationship that we've built

with these students,

and we continue working

with them well after the tour.

I enjoyed meeting new people,

whether it was someone being

a student there at the college

or being part of the staff.

They were able to share

their experiences there

and how they work

or how-- how it is,

like, being at a university.

And that was really nice,

so that way you get the feel

of how it's gonna

be when maybe you go.

A lot of the questions I had

I thought were really stupid

or I should've known,

and they made it clear that,

you know, you're not

gonna know everything.

These are your first steps.

You get to see

the different opportunities

that are out there

and you learn a lot

of skills like networking.

You get more confident.

It made me more confident

in how I spoke to people,

how I spoke to the deans,

how I spoke to, just,

uh, the admissions

officers there at the colleges.

At the beginning,

we kind of just, um,

threw ourselves in a room with

a bunch of different strangers.

And as time progressed,

we actually became

a close-knit family,

which is something

that I really enjoyed.

I mean, personally,

I'm kind of like a more,

um, introverted person,

and it's hard for me to,

like, I guess,

talk to random people.

But, by the end of the tour,

it was an amazing group

that we had shared

so many memories with

and that now we

have friends for life with

because of this tour.

And it's something

that I know for sure is,

like, what other people

will like from joining it.

You got to learn

more about the colleges

and you got to

experience new colleges.

Like, I didn't know

what Swa--

Swarthmore was at all.

I had never

heard of it or anything.

And then, when I got there,

it's actually one of my top

schools now to go to.

Like, I'm definitely applying.

I was looking

forward to Columbia,

but I ended up,

like, loving Brown

and Georgetown

and all those universities.

And I had no idea

that's what I was into.

It gave me, like,

a really

one-person experience there

when I was talking

to all the counselors

and administrators

that were there,

and the students who

went there and their perspective

on the universities

because I personally

wouldn't have

taken initiatives to go

and look at those universities

if it wasn't for this trip.

Coming from El Paso,

we kind of think

our best options

are UTEP or EPCC.

But going there, they're

like, oh no, you actually have

the opportunity

to attend Harvard or Yale.

You're that good

and you can get in.

With any student,

I think it provides

a good transition for them

to start thinking

about their future.

I believe my daughter, Tania,

came with a defined goal

of what is it that she

really wants to do in this life,

and why is, uh,

she wants to do it?

It's a life experience

that she probably

wouldn't have gotten

had she not participated

in this program.

Friendships that they

developed will be lifelong.

They had a lot of fun.

They experienced everything

from being sleep-deprived

to getting sore feet.

I found that Fazila is,

as a my daughter,

she's very introverted.

And then when she came in,

uh, she's

completely different person.

I love that.

I had no clue that these

students from El Paso, Texas,

our town, could actually be

really powerful benefits

to these universities,

and to be able to

have these opportunities

out here to attend

Ivy League schools.

Um, there's a common

perception that students

that come from

El Paso are students that have

a low socioeconomic background,

can't attend

Ivy League universities,

and those myths

were completely debunked

when we were able

to go to these tours.

We found out that

it's very affordable

for all students.

In some cases, students

don't have to pay anything,

and it's very worth pursuing.

It's a dream that

students may have had

in the past that can

actually become a reality.

This trip and, you know,

working with Luis and Daniel,

really has, um,

embodied what we wanted

to do within our district

and within our counseling

program to really create

these opportunities

for our kids.

It's pretty

amazing to come from a place

like El Paso and come

all the way to the other side

of the country to see

what these amazing

schools have to offer.

And we've always heard

of them as being so amazing.

You know, the "Ivy League."

And now that I got here,

I truly got to see

how amazing these schools were.

Just, like,

the feeling of stepping

onto a prestigious campus.

Like, it's overwhelming,

and it can be

really intimidating,

but then again, really exciting.

Now, I'm confident in myself

that I am

one of the individuals

who will receive the opportunity

to step on one

of those campuses.

This trip has shown me

that it is possible,

and we've met El Pasoans

from my hometown

that have made it from...

El Paso to the northeast,

which is, like,

one of the biggest dreams

that a lot

of people have in college.

People who have

accomplished their goals exist,

and they go to

these campuses to further

their knowledge and to make

themselves better people.

Talking to, like,

the admissions officers,

and even the students,

I was a little bit nervous

to ask questions or

even put myself out there

because I was

thinking to myself, like,

well, I'm only 17,

barely gonna be a senior.

But, you know, these students,

they've been at it already,

they know what they want,

whereas I'm still deciding

what I wanna do with my life.

And I realize that

a lot of these students

feel the same way.

I think I was really fearful of,

like, the whole idea of college,

and kind

of leaving my family behind

and kind of being on

my own, I guess you could say.

But after this experience,

I can say that I've honestly

grown as a person,

and it's made me realize that

I'm-- That I don't have

to depend so much on my mom,

and that college

isn't something that it's--

I can be scared of anymore.

I feel like I've gained

this sense of independence,

and I feel like I really found

who I am as a person.

I was always told,

"Oh, you're so smart,

you're gonna get

so many scholarships."

But, I wasn't told

how to prepare for them.

I wasn't told how

to search for them.

I wasn't told to--

How to put myself out there.

And with them,

they really believed in us,

and they showed us that process.

I've learned how to show myself

to someone,

how to present myself,

be-- In both a formal

and informal manner,

I've been able

to show my passions.

Why-- Why I love

doing what I do.

My high school's so small.

We don't have that many clubs,

we don't have that

many extracurriculars.

How am I supposed

to compete with these kids

that come from private schools,

from boarding schools,

that do everything

and have so many opportunities.

And I feel like I had nothing.

So, learning

that was really great.

That they judge you in

context of your high school,

and they judge you by

what opportunities you took.

[speaking in Spanish]



[clicks tongue]

If-- if you ask me how it feels

to see a student succeed

and tell me that it

was because of what I did,

or what I helped them with,

or what I showed them,

or because of the program that,

you know, Daniel and I created.

Of course it's-- it's rewarding.

Of course, it makes me

feel good inside.

But, I also feel

that I fulfilled my duty.

I-- I guess at

this point I have set

expectations for myself.

Would feel that I was letting

not only myself down,

but my community down

if I wasn't doing

what I'm doing.

[children shouting indistinctly]

[lighthearted music playing]

[bike bell ringing]

[clearing throat]

I'm getting choked up only

because... [clearing throat]

All the different, um...

things that I've had

to go through to get here.

It's been rough.

But, it's a journey that...

if I had to do

over again, I would.

There's been--

there's been so many setbacks

this past year for

me, personally, and...

[clears throat]

To the point where I didn't know

if I was gonna be good enough

to stand in front

of students and to lead them

because I couldn't

even lead myself.

So, it's, um...

it's a proud moment

for me to sit here

and to talk about the journey.

And to talk

about all the successes,

because those outweigh

all of those negative times.

And I now see it,

even with my kids.

They're so--

It was-- it was such

a fulfilling experience

just to have them be with me.

to have... this.

To leave that

as part of my legacy for them.

To showcase everything

that is possible

and that they can do.

[inspiring music playing]

It's one that-- that

I'll forever treasure because...

I did something

that had never been done.

That's all I ever wanted to do.

[tearfully]

Something great.

So, I appreciate it.

[clapperboard clicks]