by Sarahi Perez
As a child, Linet Lopez dreamed of becoming an astronaut. Her parents also encouraged her to shoot for the stars and pursue higher education because they did not have the opportunity to attend college in Mexico. But when her dad began to have health problems, Linet’s dream changed.
“My dad has always had health problems because he was working all the time,” said Linet. “This is how the idea of becoming a doctor started evolving in my mind.”
Her path toward that new dream was not always as clear-cut. When she finished elementary school, she applied to several selective enrollment schools. She didn’t get accepted to any of them. “I did not give up searching for better opportunities because I knew I did not want to go to my community high school,” recalls Linet.
Linet applied to Cristo Rey High School because of their work-study program. She secured an internship at a law firm in their human resource department. “I had never worked in my life, so this program helped me understand what being a professional was all about,” said Linet.
During her senior year at Cristo Rey, she applied to the University of Pennsylvania, her dream school. Unfortunately, she was not accepted. While she was disappointed, she became more realistic about the expenses and economic difficulties her family would have if she were accepted there. Her parents encouraged her to attend The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) because it was one of the closest schools near them.
“I was not happy with this school and still had my hopes on an Ivy League school,” she said.
Living at home was also something that worried Linet, so her counselor convinced her to apply to La Casa Student Housing through their Career Internship Program (CIP).
She applied and now interns at The Resurrection Project with the Financial Wellness department. In her role, she helps organize Financial Empowerment classes by managing a client database and calling clients to schedule appointments.
A year later, she is happy with her decision of becoming an intern with this department. “I love helping others and I love the people I get to work with,” she said. “I feel welcomed and I have learned to be patient, manage my time better, and my communication skills are stronger.”
Although her internship it not associated with the medical field, Linet believes it has helped her improve her organizational skills and learn how to interact with clients more effectively. “In any job you need to have a positive attitude and be able to interact with others kindly,” she said. “You are a representation of the people you work with and of yourself, and this internship has taught me that.”
Living at La Casa and being part of the CIP program have helped Linet feel independent and able to enjoy this new journey in college. Today, Linet still has high hopes for her future and is working on her general education at UIC. Her ambition to become a doctor remains strong, as is her desire to work hard to achieve her dream to help others.
The CIP program is part of TRP’s Vision 2020 plan to increase workshops and programming to build healthy communities. This transformative experience for students could not be possible without the generous support of The John Buck Company Foundation, Chicago Tribune Charities – Holiday Campaign, a McCormick Foundation fund, the A. Montgomery Ward Foundation, and two anonymous donors.