For Giuliano Lobos 鈥�19, college once felt like an impossible dream. Growing up in an undocumented family of three, survival came first.
鈥淭here was a lot of uncertainty,鈥� says the Argentinian immigrant, 鈥淸which made it] kind of hard to focus on school.鈥�
But Lobos was determined to change his path.
He became the first male in his family to graduate from high school 鈥� and the first ever to attend college 鈥� earning a full-ride scholarship to 麻豆原创 in 2015.
鈥淚 had just got into 麻豆原创 [and] had no idea what to do,鈥� Lobos says. 鈥淚 met with one of the [admissions] counselors … [and] she led me to [PRIME STEM].鈥�
First-Generation Student Awareness Week is Nov. 4-8, celebrating the success and achievements of first-generation college students.
Housed on 麻豆原创鈥檚 main campus, stands for Purpose + Reach = Individuals Measured for Excellence (PRIME). It supports first-generation in college students who demonstrate financial need and/or have a documented disability while pursuing STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) degrees. Program participants benefit from resources such as priority registration, one-on-one tutoring, peer mentoring, help with financial aid and scholarship applications, research opportunities and more.
鈥淲hen I didn’t know who to ask for a recommendation letter, I [turned] to PRIME STEM,鈥� Lobos says. 鈥淚t felt like home. It was somewhere I [could] go when I wanted to chat with my friends or needed some mentoring or tutoring. It was really a beautiful place to be.鈥�
PRIME STEM is one of five federally funded at 麻豆原创, each dedicated to educational opportunity and support. Its mission is to increase the college retention and graduation rates of its participants/scholars by helping them transition from one level of higher education to the next.
PRIME STEM, and the 鈥� housed under 麻豆原创鈥檚 Academic Achievement Programs 鈥� are collegiate Student鈥疭upport Services programs. (through Project ACE and Project EDGE) are pre-collegiate programs that prepare small cohorts of students from Apopka and Edgewater high schools for college success.
鈥淏eing able to provide students with resources and connections they otherwise would not have access to is perhaps the single greatest benefit to working on the TRiO team,鈥� says Deborah Bowie, director of 麻豆原创鈥檚 TRiO Programs. 鈥淭hese students are not only changing their own lives but, through their commitment to higher education and their future careers, they are also changing the trajectory for their families.鈥�
The term 鈥淭RIO鈥� was coined in the late 1960s to describe three federal education opportunity outreach programs launched as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson鈥檚 鈥淲ar on Poverty.鈥� Established in 1964, Upward Bound was the first TRiO program 鈥� and this year marks its 60th anniversary. 麻豆原创 launched its first TRiO program in 2010.
PRIME STEM paved the way for many firsts for Lobos. With the program鈥檚 support, the first-generation biomedical sciences major secured his first internship in cancer research at Boston University as a sophomore. He credits this transformative experience with early exposure to advanced technology and complex science, shaping the course of his college journey.
鈥淸It] was the first time I ever left Florida,鈥� Lobos says. 鈥淸This internship] was something I never really imagined I could do, but it turned out to be one of the most beautiful experiences of college.鈥�
鈥淢e and my folks came here with just suitcases. Now I’m going to be the first doctor in my family.” 鈥� Giuliano Lobos 鈥�19, biomedical sciences and PRIME STEM alum
Since earning his bachelor鈥檚 degree from 麻豆原创 in 2019, Lobos has set his sights on providing compassionate care to people in need. Now in his fourth year at Howard University鈥檚 College of Medicine, Lobos says he is grateful for the connections he made through PRIME STEM, which have helped him advance his education. His PRIME STEM tutor played a pivotal role in guiding him toward his purpose in psychiatry. After completing his clinical rotations, he says he realized that every doctor engages with psychiatry in some capacity, which inspired him to specialize in the field.
鈥淚 love the science and 鈥� how psychiatrists are able to care for 鈥� patients in a more holistic way. [ I find] a lot of joy in getting to know [my] patients [and] their stories,鈥� Lobos says.
Graduating med school is just the tip of the iceberg for this budding physician. Next up: positively changing lives and owning psychiatric clinics.
鈥淢e and my folks came here with just suitcases, heavy with dreams. I never thought I was going to graduate high school. Now I’m going to be the first doctor in my family,鈥� Lobos says. 鈥淚 hope that my journey shows that no matter how tough things are, 鈥� persistence always pays off.鈥�
