HeartShare St. Vincent’s Services American Dream Scholar Daniel is a freshman at Monroe College and an aspiring web designer. Growing up in foster care, Daniel faced many obstacles before he reached this point in his life. Daniel grew up in Guyana, but his family faced some challenges when they first arrived in the U.S. Daniel entered foster care and had to learn a lot on his own. Additionally, Daniel faced hardships as an immigrant. “My experiences forced me to work harder, budget carefully and put education first,” said Daniel. Today, Daniel is a U.S. citizen and the first in his family to attend college. Currently, Daniel is taking introductory courses for his IT major, including web design and programming. “It’s very interesting to see how a website is built. Right now, I’m learning how to create separate pages, then link them together,” Daniel explained.

“I am so grateful that I can attend college without having to worry about the cost,” Daniel said about his HSVS American Dream Program scholarship. “To me, the American Dream means being able to live independently. It means owning my own home and a car, as well as having a solid group of friends. That’s all I want,” shared Daniel. In addition to being dedicated to his studies, Daniel likes to give back to the community. He recalls that his first job was at a soup kitchen and he always hopes to approach others with compassion and empathy.