Education, a door-opener and identity: Briawna’s story

CSF-Scholar Briawna was fortunate to receive early exposure to the concept of higher education. What’s more: she understood what was required to take advantage of it. Her father earned his bachelor’s degree in business before immigrating to the U.S. from Hong Kong. Her mother, also an immigrant from Hong Kong, came from a large family without the funds to pay for college. “I knew from a young age that if you wanted to go to college,” Briawna says. “You have to afford it and you have to have a knack for school.”

That knack Briawna speaks of came preternaturally for her. “I knew what I had to do to succeed in school and just did it. I followed the rules. I’m a careful person and I don’t like to stand out.” In fact, Briawna has a track record of being so dedicated to school that both her mother and father imparted upon her their wish that she doesn’t spend too much time studying. “‘Go explore, try new things!’ I remember my dad saying,” Briawna recalls. “And my mom reminding me: ‘Briawna studying is not the most important thing in your life. You need to get yourself healthy.’” Prescient words that would serve as a stark contrast to the terrifying news her family would eventually receive. 

Eyes on the prize

During high school, Briawna’s father was diagnosed with cancer. The stability she found in academic pursuits was rocked. She was overcome with fear and anxiety, deciding to to keep herself busy and help her family financially by getting her first job as a tutor, serving as the perfect precursor to her academic life ahead. Briawna’s exceptional gift for mathematics unlocked a new purpose for her. “I didn’t have siblings growing up so I loved working with kids,” she reflects. “Teaching math helped me learn to adapt in the classroom and at home.” 

With her penchant for academic immersion, it was kismet when Briawna learned about College Success Foundation her junior year at Kentridge High School. Allie, her CSF advisor, pitched to Briawna’s classroom the importance of planning for college. “I knew I needed to learn how to pay for college,” Briawna says. “In grade school, we were given a presentation on college. I don’t remember anything from that presentation except for how much it cost. I remember thinking: ‘That’s a lot of zeros.’ I would save all my money with the goal of getting into college but I knew I needed more.”

Opening doors and seizing opportunities

Allie and Briawna functioned as a well-oiled machine her junior and senior years when it came time to apply for financial aid and colleges. Allie first told her to fill out the FAFSA application and immediately leveled-up her support by helping Briawna organize and complete scholarship applications as well as strategize tedious essay questions. 

“Allie was with me every step of the way through applications and essays, just getting me ready for college,” Briawna recalls. “She took us CSF Scholars on field trips. And that was the first time I set foot on a college campus. It was so big and beautiful. I felt so excited and knew immediately that after I graduate, this is the exact environment I want to be in.” The possibility of college being just around the corner had never felt more real. And it’s why experiential advising opportunities like college campus visits are such a hallmark of CSF’s pathway of support.

Briawna applied to five Washington state schools and lights up remembering the day she was accepted to University of Washington. “The world was fireworks!” Briawna says. “I remember when I got in, Allie was over the moon. She was almost happier than I was!” 

College was now firmly on the horizon. Briawna felt relieved knowing CSF would continue to be in her corner as she embarked on the next chapter of her journey. Just before high school graduation she was invited to a CSF transitional workshop where staff informed students they’d have a different advisor, aptly called a “coach”, when they got to college. For Briawna, this was vital. “Adjusting to UW was chaotic,” Briawna says. “It’s a huge campus. There are almost too many resources…The word ‘coach’ stuck with me. There were a lot of things I wanted to ask. Culturally, logistically, financially, how to become fully self-sufficient. I figured out all my scholarship and tuition payment management but I wanted to build on top of that growth.”

Rosalynn allowed me to open up about insecurities and not feel judged for [them]. Discussing deeper topics like identity led me to find myself and my position in the world.

College coaching services through COVID

Like most of the world, Briawna couldn’t have predicted the challenges that would come her way in March of 2020. When she learned that her math final for winter quarter was not postponed but canceled entirely, she knew the pandemic would reshape her college experience. Displaced from the dorms, Briawna moved back home with her parents where, on one hand, she enjoyed staying in her pajamas during virtual classes, but she felt completely cut off from her peers. It was then she knew she needed to lean into CSF’s college coaching services. Briawna was paired with CSF Coach Rosalynn Guillen, who served as a trusted sounding board, with whom Briawna could be vulnerable and uniquely understood. “Rosalynn allowed me to open up about insecurities and not feel judged for [them],” remarks Briawna. “Discussing deeper topics like identity led me to find myself and my position in the world.”

Midway through COVID, Briawna’s father lost his job. And though he remained calm, Briawna felt the mounting pressure to figure out how to continue affording college. “Rosalynn calmed me down,” Briawna reflects. “She said ‘Let me work the numbers out and see what solutions we can come up with.’ So she did. She let me know scholarships alone would cover my tuition if we kept applying. ‘You don’t need to worry about your dad’s unemployment. Take a breather instead of spiraling. I’m here.’”

Rosalynn became the first person Briawna called when things got stressful. Once after a math exam, Briawna broke down because she’d never scored so low, but Rosalynn was there to motivate her sense of resilience and got her connected with an academic advisor. “Sometimes I have a hard time connecting with people,” Briawna admits. “But Rosalynn is the bridge. Rosalynn helps me calm down whenever there are sirens going on in my head for school or life, as well as helps me analyze the actual problem.”

Without Rosalynn, I wouldn’t have been able to navigate through my journey of independence in college and discover myself in the process.

Dreaming big and looking ahead

Throughout her time at UW, Briawna went on to receive multiple merit-based scholarships that enabled her to continue pursuing her degree while working two part-time jobs as a tutor. She is on track to graduate in June 2023 and will be applying to graduate school to earn her master’s in education so that she can start her career as a teacher earning a livable wage.

Call it a raison d’être or an identity; Briawna is absolutely certain about living and breathing her passion for teaching. “It’s not only teaching,” she clarifies. “It’s learning. Learning is valuable for anyone, especially doing it together. Helping students get through an obstacle and seeing their despair transform to excitement makes it so meaningful to me.” 

Even with the clearest ambitions in her young adulthood, Briawna credits CSF for her transformation from a hard-working student to confident adult. “Without Rosalynn,” Briawna says, “I wouldn’t have been able to navigate through my journey of independence in college and discover myself in the process.”