Thank you for participating in our January $100 sweepstakes! A total of 53 parents submitted their answers to enter the drawing. Check out what parents learned from the newsletter.
This month’s winner of our monthly sweepstakes is the family of Mayra and Victor Perez. The Perez family has been a part of Inversant for the past 7 years. They first enrolled their eldest daughter Mayreliz who is now studying business at Salem State University and are currently still attending Learning Circles for their younger daughter Chelyz (pictured left) who is on 9th grade at KIPP Academy Lynn.
The Perez family first found out about Inversant at a recruitment that was held at KIPP Academy Lynn. When we asked Mayra about what interested her about Inversant, she replied, “The whole program, workshops, FASFA counselling, and the savings incentives. It was great to know what dates were coming up to have things prepared. There were also a lot of incentives in the end that made it appealing. Inversant was really helpful and made things even easier for my second daughter.” When it comes time for Mayra to fill out the FAFSA and other required documents for her daughters to receive financial aid, she will have an easier time filling out the forms.
Many of our Inversant families have the dreams of sending their children to college. Although they have the dream, they do not always know how they will make this dream a reality. When asked if she had planned on having her daughters attend high school, Mayra responded, “Yes, I always wanted them to go to college someday.” She also admitted, “I had not taken any steps to saving before.” For many families, when joining Inversant, it is the first time they started saving specifically for college. Our incentives help families save for college, but they also receive the benefit of habitual saving.
College has many different benefits that come with attendance. Students share that they meet new people, experience different cultures, and find new ways of thinking. Research has also showed that students who graduate from college with a degree will earn more in their lifetime than those who do not. Mayra shares that, “College is important because it gets you a better job.” She also believes that, “Everyone needs an education. Everyone needs something.” Mayra did attend college and hopes both her children follow in her footsteps.
At all of our sites, we hold monthly learning circles. Each month there is a new topic that families learn about that helps them understand different components of the college. Even for families who have multiple children in the program, they may attend the same titled workshop, but the information is different. This is common for the Learning Circle that discusses FAFSA. This also happens to be Mayra’s favorite workshop. The FAFSA has many pieces that can be confusing. Mayra tells us, “There are so many forms and documents needed, and if you forget one detail you have to start all over. It was really helpful to know ahead of time what exactly is needed so you can prepare.” Completing and submitting the FAFSA is very import in order for students to receive financial aid.
The Perez family is very invested in getting their children through college, so they can achieve their dreams. Their youngest daughter Chelyz hopes to attend Tufts and someday become a heart surgeon. They have a few years before she goes off to college, but do not hesitate to save now. Mayra encourages families to start saving early. She says, “It’s very important to start saving SOMETHING. You don’t see it now, but at the end you see a big difference.” Families have the opportunity at the end of their senior year, to celebrate their savings at our sendoff events.