Fereshtah Flores

Fereshtah Gained a Newfound Confidence at GateWay

One of the most difficult challenges facing Fereshtah Flores were family issues when her father decided to leave them. Her original plan was to attend UNM with the money she had saved up along with her parents help.  However, after her family situation change, she had to redirect her savings toward rent and paying bills as her father had discontinued financial assistance. That’s when she turned to GateWay Community College.

Fereshtah struggled terribly with social anxiety and speaking to new people was very difficult, causing her to struggle to meet new people. While attending GateWay, Jessie Palacio, Director of Student Life, offered her a job. Ms. Palacio encouraged her to join the Student Activities Management (SAM) council. As her confidence grew, she ended up running for president and won. In SAM, she was given the opportunity to plan and run events, meet new people, network, and even present in front of the MCCCD Governing Board about all of the things they were doing at GateWay.

Fereshtah says, "I feel GateWay really shaped me into the person I am today. Now I feel as though I have gained a newfound confidence and can approach people with ease. I find myself encouraging others and when I look back, I think about how much I have overcome in these two short years and I could not be happier."

In the future, she plans on majoring in Civil Engineering in Construction Management. Flores added, "There are not very many women in this field, but I am confident that I will do a good job."