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Mission Graduates, 3040 16th Street, San Francisco, CA (2026)

06/05/2026

🎊 Mi Pasaje Student Highlight: Yarah García Balladares

For Yarah, the path to college was always personal. “My family’s experiences showed me how difficult it can be for many families to access basic health care and resources. That’s why I studied Public Health and Chicano Studies, to provide services to those populations.”

Yarah’s mom is an immigrant who believed in her daughter before Yarah believed in herself. Her strength in the face of the challenges she faced gave Yarah a blueprint for perseverance. “The encouragement my mother provided helped motivate me through my academic years. She was able to overcome the struggles of being an immigrant, and she motivated me to achieve dreams that seemed impossible.”

The road wasn’t always smooth. As a first-generation college student, Yarah questioned whether she belonged in higher education more than once.

Balancing school and personal responsibilities while facing an uncertain future felt unmanageable at times. But she kept going, learning to rely on herself, seek help when she needed it, and push through the hard stretches.

She didn’t do it alone. Her mom and her sister (also a Mission Graduates alumna!) were always there, pushing her forward. And her pasaje is one they share. “My sister is pursuing her dreams too, and that has inspired me to continue striving. I want my achievements to be something for both my mother and sister to take pride in.”

This spring, Yarah graduated from San José State University. Her goal now is to reduce health disparities and improve access to culturally responsive care for immigrant and Latino communities—through education, advocacy, and community-based public health work.

For Yarah, celebrating Mi Pasaje is about more than her own achievement. “The person I am today and the things I have achieved are directly related to the sacrifices, encouragement, and support from my family, friends, mentors, and community.”

De aquí, pa’lante. We’re proud to celebrate Yarah’s journey at Mi Pasaje 2026 on June 11.

👉 RSVP to join us:

06/03/2026

🫡 Mission High to Capitol Hill

Janessa Reyes didn’t walk into her first Congressional internship knowing what she was doing.

“I don’t know anything about the government,” she told her interviewers at the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies. “I don’t know anything about public service. But if I’m in this program, I’m going to learn something and take away from it.”

They heard her. She got in.

Working in the House of Representatives for Congresswoman Summer Lee, Janessa found herself in rooms she’d never imagined entering: writing briefs, fielding constituent calls, navigating a world that runs on acronyms and access. It was exhilarating. It was hard. And it was, at times, isolating.

“I got spoiled by College Connect and Mission Graduates,” she says. “Always being surrounded by first-gen students, always being surrounded by students who resonate with my experience. Being thrown into DC was uncharted waters.”

Her proudest moment: helping circulate a letter in support of protecting Southeast Asian refugees from deportation. “It felt really good knowing that I played a small role in helping my community get the help they need and deserve.”

Mission Graduates didn’t put Janessa on Capitol Hill. She did that herself. But it gave her the foundation: the voice, the skills, the community she needed to walk in the door and stay.

👉 Support the next student building that foundation:

06/02/2026

🎊 Mi Pasaje Student Highlight: João Rodrigues Silva

João was working a shift at Oracle Park, carrying the same worries that had been on his mind for months: college debt, financial pressure, and whether he could afford the future he was working toward. Then he opened an email that changed everything.

“The moment I saw the blue letters spelling Genentech, I was in shock.” João had received a full-ride scholarship and an internship with Genentech. “In a single moment, all the fear and uncertainty I had been carrying disappeared. What once felt impossible suddenly became real.”

A senior at San Francisco International High School and a student in Mission Graduates’ College Connect program, João knows what it takes to get here. But his advice to other first-gen students isn’t what you might expect. “Enjoy the process. Our society makes everything seem much harder than it actually is. I’m not saying it’s easy, especially as a first-generation student, but it doesn’t have to be the nightmare that so many people make it out to be, either.”

Study hard, he says, but also live in the moment. Create experiences. Gather good stories. “Everyone says we need to be 100% locked in on schoolwork all the time, but I see it differently: we need to be happy, too. Because in the end, the journey matters just as much as the result.”

This fall, João is heading to San Francisco State University.

De aquí, pa’lante. We’re proud to celebrate João’s journey at Mi Pasaje 2026 on June 11.

👉 RSVP to join us:

05/29/2026

🎊 Mi Pasaje Student Highlight: Amberlynn Martinez

When Amberlynn started high school, success meant one thing: good grades and recognition from others. Four years later, she sees it differently. “Success is more about growing as a person and staying resilient. It’s less about what others expect and more about what matters to me and what piques my curiosity.”

That shift didn’t happen overnight. Along the way, Amberlynn discovered something about herself that surprised her: she’s good with change. “I found out I can do well in places I’m not used to and quickly get used to new ways of doing things, even though I used to think I didn’t like change.”

Her parents, both immigrants who came to the United States to find safety and build a better life for their children, believed in her before she believed in herself. Their sacrifices and daily hard work shaped how Amberlynn approaches school. “Seeing how much they have done for us inspires me to work hard and take every opportunity seriously.”

Now a senior at John O’Connell High School in the Entrepreneurial and Culinary Arts pathway, Amberlynn is heading to college ready to explore. She doesn’t have it all figured out yet, and she’s okay with that. She wants to find what truly interests her, challenge herself, and leave college with a clear sense of direction.

De aquí, pa’lante. We’re proud to celebrate Amberlynn’s journey at Mi Pasaje 2026 on June 11.

👉 RSVP to join us:

05/27/2026

🎊 Mi Pasaje Student Highlight: Otabek Buranov

The last time Otabek Buranov stood on the Mi Pasaje stage, he was a high school graduate. This year, he’s coming back as a college grad—and a keynote speaker.

Otabek was born and raised in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. When he was eight, his parents decided to leave behind their lives, their jobs, and their families to come to the United States through the green card lottery. The reason was simple: they wanted their sons to have access to a higher education. “When we got here, it was such a grind. My mom would work so many hours. My dad would be away. There were times when my 14-year-old brother would take care of me at home when it was just us two.”

In high school, Otabek was a student, a varsity wrestling team captain, and a College Connect student at Mission Graduates. After two-hour practices, he’d come home, shower, eat, and hop on a Zoom call with his college research coach or his writing partner. “It was such a grind. But that’s what earned me scholarships. I put in the work then, and I didn’t have to worry about being in debt coming out of college, all thanks to my community at Mission Grads and College Connect.”

He still keeps in touch with both of them to this day.

🎓 This spring, Otabek graduated from California State University, Fullerton with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, with a concentration in marketing and information systems. He wants to work in tech—not just to make things faster, but to build something that brings good to people.

When asked who believed in him before he believed in himself, he didn’t hesitate: his mom. “Anytime I’m going through doubt, she just hears me out and gives me the perfect words that assure me that I’ll be okay. It’s unconditional love.”

If he could tell his freshman-year self one thing? “Stay the course. Think of the bigger picture. It’s not just for you, it’s about those who look up to you as well.”

De aquí, pa’lante. We’re proud to celebrate Otabek’s journey at Mi Pasaje 2026 on June 11.

👉 RSVP to join us:

05/26/2026

⭐ One form. A lifetime of access.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the single most important document in a first-generation student’s college journey. It unlocks grants, scholarships, and loans that make college financially possible. And for too many students, it goes unfiled—not because they don’t want to go to college, but because they don’t know where to start.

⬇️ This year, FAFSA completion rates dropped 24% across California.

✅ At Mission High School, 98% of seniors completed it.

That gap doesn’t close by accident. It closes because Mission Graduates staff are embedded at Mission High every day, helping students navigate a form that was never meant to be navigated alone. Sitting with families. Translating not just language but process. Answering the questions students didn’t know they were allowed to ask.

Janessa Reyes didn’t know what FAFSA was when she arrived at Mission High. She told us: “I didn’t know what FAFSA was. I didn’t even know UC Berkeley existed.”

Today she’s a junior there—an Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholar who has interned on Capitol Hill twice and will spend this summer working alongside nonprofits fighting deportation in Southeast Asian communities.

A form is a future. And someone made sure she didn’t face it alone.

👉 Be part of what’s possible:

05/19/2026

🎊 Mi Pasaje Student Highlight: Camille Ng

Ask Camille Ng what kept her going through high school, and she’ll keep it real: “If I wanted to go anywhere or do anything, I had to believe in myself.”

That self-belief carried Camille a long way. For most of high school, she balanced a 3.5+ GPA with working three to four shifts a week at a restaurant: opening at noon, closing at nine, then showing up to class the next morning. She knew she wanted to explore what else was out there. That’s what pushed her toward college.

The belief that college was possible started with her grandma, whose father was a teacher in China before he was forbidden to teach under the communist government. Her grandma never finished school herself, but she never stopped telling Camille that education mattered. When Camille would write, her grandma would say, “Oh my gosh, you’re writing like a college student.”

Through Mission Graduates’ summer Writing Partner program, Camille was paired with Ilene, a volunteer who quickly became a mentor. Ilene helped with college applications, checked in on Camille’s well-being, and even researched majors on her own so they could talk through options together. “She reminds me of someone whom I would want to be like when I am older.”

This fall, Camille is heading to UC Davis. When asked what surprised her about herself during high school, she didn’t hesitate: “I can do hard things. And I can enjoy doing hard things.”

De aquí, pa’lante. We’re proud to celebrate Camille’s journey at Mi Pasaje 2026 on June 11.

👉 RSVP to join us:

05/19/2026

🧡 Immigrant Journeys: A Panel on Belonging, Education, and Building a Future

Last week, our Diversity, Equity, and Anti-Racism (DEAR) Committee hosted a powerful panel featuring Mission Graduates community members who shared their immigration stories and the role education played in shaping their paths.

The conversation brought together Gil, a College Connect alum; Gilda, a College Connect alum and former staff member; and Lucia, a Mission Graduates alum and former staff member. Each shared honestly about their experiences navigating new school systems, language barriers, and building professional identities in a new cultural landscape.

Across their stories, common threads emerged: the people who believed in them and opened doors, the search for belonging in educational institutions that didn’t always feel designed for them, and the way education became a bridge to resources, opportunities, and community they didn’t know existed.

These conversations are vital. They reminded us that the path to success is rarely linear and that creating spaces where students and staff see themselves reflected matters deeply. This panel is part of the work our DEAR Committee does to foster conversations about diversity, equity, and anti-racism within our organization. These aren’t just stories to celebrate, they’re lived experiences that shape how we show up for our students and families every day.

⭐ Thank you to Gil, Gilda, and Lucia for sharing your journeys with us, and thank you to the DEAR Committee for creating space for these essential conversations.

05/14/2026

🎊 Mi Pasaje Student Highlight: Ester Marroquin

If Ester could go back and talk to her freshman-year self, the message would be simple: take your time, build your confidence, and don’t be afraid to try the things that scare you.

That advice didn’t come easy. It came from years of learning to trust herself, and from the teachers and tutors who believed in her before she could see it. “For me, it is important to listen to those who support you with the things that you like instead of focusing on those who are not on your side.”

Ester is a senior at Mission High School and a student in Mission Graduates’ College Connect program. With the help of her Writing Partner, Barbara Hanscome, she earned both the Latin American Teachers Association’s scholarship and a scholarship from the Koshland Program through the San Francisco Foundation.

This fall, Ester is heading to UC Berkeley. Her goal? To start her own organization that supports unaccompanied minors and women in her community.

When asked what superpower she’s discovered: resilience. “Resilience has been one of the superpowers I have discovered, and I keep building it through the days.”

De aquí, pa’lante. We’re proud to celebrate Ester’s journey at Mi Pasaje 2026 on June 11.

👉 RSVP

04/28/2026

🫶 When Janessa Found Her Community

When Janessa Reyes came back from the pandemic shutdown, something had shifted.

She’d spent her freshman year at Mission High quiet and to herself. Head down, don’t rock the boat — the survival strategy her grandparents had taught her. But watching anti-Asian hate surge across the country, she thought about her grandfather walking through the Tenderloin every day to pick up donuts for her, and she asked herself: is staying silent really going to protect the people I love?

It wasn’t.

So when a classmate started reviving Mission High’s API (Asian Pacific Islander) Club, Janessa showed up. Then she kept showing up. She joined the board, helped plan the school’s first annual API assembly, and started to understand what it meant to build community — not just belong to one.

Around the same time, she applied to College Connect, Mission Graduates’ cohort-based college access program. The weekly sessions, the accountability, the people — it became what she now calls her third space. Somewhere that wasn’t home and wasn’t school. Somewhere she could just be herself.

“When I think of Mission Graduates, I think that was the place where I first learned to be a leader,” she told us. “I don’t think I came out of the womb a leader. Little Janessa probably would have never thought I’d be doing any of this.”

This spring, we’re raising funds to ensure the next student who walks into Mission Graduates finds the same thing Janessa did.

👉 Give today:

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Monday	10am - 6pm
Tuesday	10am - 6pm
Wednesday	10am - 6pm
Thursday	10am - 6pm
Friday	10am - 6pm