One downloaded song and a plan for college

A single downloaded song, playing again and again. In the first weeks in a new country, Dioscaily Torres was the first one to arrive at home, alone and at first without internet.

"I came to this country about three years ago; it was just me, my sister, and my dad," she says. "None of us knew English, and neither of us had a secure future."

“I wanted to stand up and get involved as much as I could.”

Dioscaily Torres

The move was frightening. "My life was about to change, and I was really scared about it." On arriving at school, Dioscaily was convinced of one thing: the aim was to keep doing as well as back home, "even better."

Those weeks alone with the song were, she says, "the push that I needed to realize that if I wanted to stand up here, in a new country, a country that is not mine, I had to do things differently; I had to go outside my comfort zone."

College is next. Dioscaily's plan is to start at a 4-year college in the state of New Jersey in the fall of 2026. Her school is Rutgers University. The major is Communications.

The plan for the first year is specific. Live on campus, to get involved along with other classmates. Join clubs related to the major. Take the required classes, "in which I will be with different people with different majors." Look for job opportunities on campus, "preferably as a resident assistant." Take more control of finances, and keep looking for scholarships for college students and for opportunities to study abroad.

"I would be building the best version of myself," she says.

"I will still work to let everybody know that you can do anything that you can imagine; the only limit is you."