Interview
1) How many children do you have? Who is part of the program
Gilda Coello- 2018 (sophomore)
2) Where is your family from?
Honduras
3) How did you learn about Inversant?
School announcement, I went to the first meeting and figured I would get a lot out of this program.
4) What was it about Inversant that interested you in joining the program?
The savings and the guide they provided about how to finance school, how to prepare early for it. I had no idea all the help we could get to be able to go to college.
5) Before Inversant, had you taken any college savings steps for your children? If so, what were they?
No, I hadn’t done anything. I have 2 older daughters but didn’t do that with them. They don’t have a higher education. I didn’t know about how to encourage them, I always thought it was too expensive to go. I didn’t think it was in my reach to send them to college, I didn’t have the money and didn’t know there were other ways to pay for it.
6) Was college always in the plan for your children?
I know that in this country in order to succeed you need an education but I didn’t think it was possible for my family. I didn’t have the money.
7) What do you hope to get out of the Inversant program?
I want to be able to send my daughter to college for an education without worrying so much about the cost.
8) What has been your favorite workshop? What did you learn?
Learning about how to apply to financial help, and how to save, what to save for and how to prepare for things. Every single one of them is important, they are all connected to each other.
9) Did you go to college? If so, how was that experience?
No
10) What do you do for work?
Single mother
11) Why do you believe college is important?
Education is your future, if you don’t educate yourself you don’t have a future. I don’t want her to do what I do, have random jobs that don’t take you far in life. Money can come and go but knowledge will always be with you, you can take it anywhere with you to do many different things.
12) What are your student’s interests? What schools and careers are they interested in?
We talk about this all the time, right now she is interested in criminal justice.
She was part of her school’s soccer team, she has a summer part-time job, and is very involved at the church we attend.
13) What would you say to encourage other families to start saving early?
Think about your kid’s future. If I knew about this earlier I would have joined and tried to help my two older daughters. It’s important to find resources early and plan early.