Paulina Anaya

Hola! My name is Paulina Anaya and I am a rising junior attending Lake Wales High school. I was born in New York and raised in Florida. At this point in my journey with the National Education Equity Lab, I have had the opportunity to take “The Modern and Postmodern”, a class offered through Wesleyan University and taught by the University’s president, Michael Roth. With this course, I’ve developed confidence in my work ethic, my capabilities as a student, and my potential in a higher education environment. Gaining exposure to subjects and global ideologies I would’ve never come across in a traditional high school classroom set the stage for me to understand what it means to truly define myself. This class and the numerous other opportunities I’ve participated in through NEEL have led me to grow interests in sociology, advocacy, and learning. I joined the Alumni Society as a member of my community, and in joining, I aspire to develop the program that has enabled me to greater heights and to set a precedent that will help students like me gain access to the tools they need to thrive. Ultimately, I joined because I know what it means to be capable in a world limited in opportunity. I work as hard as I do because I’ve been given the opportunity to; I recognize the generations who precede me, and I recognize what I can do for the generations who’ll proceed after me. The National Education Equity Lab provides students like me with the immutable endowment of education, and in pushing forward through the path they’ve helped me pave, I hope to pave the way for others.