Jayla Casias has known her whole life that she wanted to be an artist. She is now a studio art major at Front Range Community College, but this isn’t where she started her higher education.
She started at a big school, a state school,” says her TRIO advisor Beatriz Suro.
A first-generation college student, Jayla went to a four-year university right after high school. She moved to a new city where she didn’t have friends or family. She stuck it out for two years, but it was a serious struggle for her.
Not the Right Fit
“I felt really unsupported and it just wasn’t the right fit for me,” she recalls. “And it kind of made me question myself and what I was doing in pursuing a higher education.”
The experience made her wonder whether her lifelong dream of earning a college degree was the right path for her.
Asking for Help
“As a first generation student I wasn’t sure how to properly go to a professor and ask about why got graded poorly.”
She reached out for help on campus but says she didn’t find the support she needed.
“And when I tried to reach out to my support system back at home, my family, they didn’t know how to help me because it was something they were unfamiliar with.”
But Jayla didn’t give up.
Finding Her Community
“I gave Front Range a chance and it really changed things around for me.”
She transferred to FRCC, where she joined the TRIO program. TRIO is a federally funded program for students who are either low income, first generation or have a documented disability.
Jayla got one-on-one help from her TRIO Coach Beatriz Suro, who helped her access other supports on campus.
“They’re navigating the system by themselves,” Beatriz says of first-gen students. “It’s their first time on a campus, it can be very overwhelming. Not knowing what to do, where to go—so I think that sense of community is key for them.”
Turning Things Around
At FRCC, Jayla got help with everything from registering for classes and applying for scholarships and financial aid to academics and getting involved in student clubs.
“I really enjoyed my classes and was learning a lot more,” she says. “And it really helped me develop good relationships with my peers and my advisors and mentors. I go to my advisors all the time and they really help me figure things out.”
“That really changed things around for me, coming to Front Range.”
Succeeding in Classes
“She’s just an excellent student,” gushes Beatriz. “I’ve been able to see her growth in such a short span of time.”
Jayla is doing so well in her classes that she got invited to join the FRCC chapter of the national honor society for community colleges, Phi Theta Kappa (PTK).
“It was the first step of a big turnaround for me academically,” she smiles shyly. “It felt really good.”
She’s now vice president of the campus PTK chapter. She has a lot to juggle she says, but being involved on campus helps her stay connected.
A Lot to Juggle
In addition to studying and developing her skills, Jayla also has a part-time job and is building an art business.
“Working those two jobs while being a full-time student is a lot to balance,” she admits.
Jayla is currently taking a class called Business for Creative Industries to learn how to promote and sell her art.
“That has been really helpful because it connects directly to what I want to do in my future with my degree and career.”
A Dream to Give Back
Jayla is on track to graduate from FRCC with her associate degree in May. Then she’ll transfer to Metropolitan State University of Denver to continue on to a bachelor’s degree.
“My main goal is to not only have my art business where I can sell my artwork in different forms but to eventually have my own art studio so I can provide creative opportunities for my community that I didn’t have growing up,” she says.
For this motivated first-gen student, success in college was literally just around the corner. Now with the right support, she’s getting ready to launch her dream career.
