You're Invited: What's Your College Story?

On February 26th at 12pm Pacific / 3pm Eastern, I’m launching a new video podcast series called:

What’s Your College Story?

Each week, I’ll sit down with someone to talk about their education journey — the expected path, the unexpected turns, the alternate routes. Many will have taken paths that don’t fit neatly into the traditional narrative.

For the first episode, I’m sharing my own story.

I Always Thought I Was College Bound

Then I became a mom my senior year of high school.

It took me five years to enroll.

The hardest barrier wasn’t financial. It wasn’t logistical.

It was belief.

Somewhere deep inside, I believed college was for other people.

Not for someone born into poverty.
Not for someone who had a child in high school.
Not for someone like me.

The Moment Everything Shifted

One day I overheard a friend talking about his community college classes. I asked how he got in.

“I went to the admissions office and applied.”

That was it.

I felt foolish — not because it was complicated, but because I had imagined some invisible requirement I didn’t meet.

Sometimes the biggest barriers aren’t rules. They’re assumptions.

Six Years and $60,000 Later

Six years later — with $30,000 in student loans and another $30,000 covered by grants — I earned my Bachelor’s in Technical Communication from the University of Washington.

I didn’t fully grasp what that meant at the time.

I was the first in generations in my family to graduate from college. Many hadn’t even finished high school. My mom, who was one of nine children, had to drop out in 10th grade to help take care of younger siblings.

Over time, especially visiting my mom’s hometown of Albuquerque, I began to see more clearly the structural and emotional barriers that shape educational decisions.

The quiet belief that “college is for other people.”
The immediate need to survive.
Minimum wage jobs.
Families to raise.
Difficult relationships.
Hardships that consume time and energy.

And yet —

They are brilliant.
Bilingual.
Creative.
Inventive.
Resilient.
Hardworking.

Some family members have since earned degrees. Others pursued certifications. Many built success through work alone.

Most are simply doing what they can to make it through another day — and that is no small thing.

Why This Series Matters

This is one reason I’m building Elikonas. There are others I’ll share soon.

But first, I want to hear your stories.

Join us on February 26th at 12pm PT / 3pm ET.

Come listen. And maybe tell your own.

— Katie