Abstract: Aliza Heslop was born on July 12, 1987 in New Zealand. Her father Pete was a native New Zealander who had a job as a Kiwi farmer and her mother Beverley was an American with British parents.
Aliza's parents did not go to college for several reasons. For Aliza's father Pete, going to college was not essential for the kind of job he had; education in New Zealand was not as valued as it was in America. Aliza's mother, Beverley, did not go because she moved to New Zealand as soon as she graduated high school in order to be with Pete.
Aliza's family had a happy life in New Zealand, bt her family immigrated to America when Aliza was seven years old. Her family first moved to Richmond, California and then a few years later her family moved to El Cerrito.
Aliza attended El Cerrito High School where she was very successful academically and socially. She has always wanted to go to college and had always promised her mother that someday she would. Her high school made it seem as if college was an option for everyone and that everyone should take advantage of the opportunity that college offered for people. Yet many students at her school were not considering college at all. Her high school offered college fairs and programs to help her make her choice but ultimately she was left to her own devices to make her choice.
Her parents were unable to help with the application process because they themselves never experienced applying to college and were unaware of what the entire process entailed. However, they offered Aliza all the support in the world.
Through Aliza's hard work and determination she was able to be successful in the application process and was accepted at several excellent schools. She chose St. Mary's because it allowed her to be close to her family and the small size of the school was desirable because it allowed her to get the level of attention she needed.
Keywords: New Zealand, family support, first generation
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