For many first-generation students, college is a turning point. It represents resilience, sacrifice, and the determination to change what feels inevitable. As part of YES Prep’s First-Generation College Spotlight series, we’re highlighting alumni whose journeys reflect the courage it takes to persist, advocate for yourself, and keep moving forward even when the path feels uncertain. 

Choosing Education as a Way Forward 

For Olivia (Perez) Davis, a 2017 graduate of YES Prep Southeast Secondary, higher education represented possibility in its most urgent form. 

“Growing up, higher education seemed to be the only way out of poverty,” Olivia shared. “My siblings and I made a conscious decision that school was going to be our way out.” 

Raised in a single-parent household where financial instability was a constant reality, Olivia knew early on that she wanted something different for her future. Education became the path, not because it was easy or guaranteed, but because it offered hope. 

At YES Prep, Olivia was introduced to opportunities that expanded how far she could imagine her life going. Exposure mattered. College spring trips helped turn distant ideas into real possibilities, allowing her to see beyond what had once felt limiting. 

Persistence Through Hardship 

Olivia went on to study Biology and Pre-Physical Therapy at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, later enrolling in the University of Pittsburgh’s graduate program in Prosthetics and Orthotics. Her journey, however, was anything but linear. 

During college, Olivia excelled in advanced coursework, neurology, and anatomy, yet she repeatedly struggled with a genetics class she could not pass. At the same time, she was working, couch-surfing, and navigating economic instability. When financial aid fell through, she made frequent visits to the financial aid office, explaining her circumstances and seeking help. 

Eventually, Olivia reached a breaking point and a turning point. She decided to be honest. “There is a shame that comes with hardship, like no one is supposed to know,” Olivia reflected. “Putting my pride down and reaching out for resources is what kept me from being a dropout and allowed me to be the first one in my family to graduate college and attend grad school.” 

That decision, to ask for help, to explain what she was carrying, changed everything. By advocating for herself, Olivia found solutions that allowed her to keep going. 

Purpose Beyond the Classroom 

Today, Olivia is still in graduate school and will graduate in Spring 2026, followed by a residency. Her work already reflects the heart behind her chosen field. Through her program, she and her peers delivered teddy bears fitted with scoliosis braces to children at a local hospital and created custom Halloween costumes for children who use wheelchairs, combining clinical skill with compassion and creativity. 

Her success has also had a ripple effect within her own family. While several relatives had previously been accepted to college but did not finish, Olivia’s persistence changed the narrative. 

Seeing her graduate showed her younger cousins that college completion is possible. One of them will graduate college in May 2026, and Olivia now serves as a trusted resource for family members navigating the process. 

Advice for Students Who Come After Her 

Olivia’s message to current students is for them to reach out. “Ask the questions. Don’t be embarrassed,” she said. “I’d rather ask and look dumb than not get the answer and feel like I can’t do it and have to quit.” 

She encourages students to build relationships with administrators, use financial aid offices as trusted guides, and advocate for themselves, even when it feels uncomfortable. As a first-generation student, she learned that success often comes not from knowing everything, but from knowing whom to ask. 

Olivia’s story reflects the core of YES Prep’s mission, preparing students to pursue lives of opportunity, even when the journey requires resilience, humility, and extraordinary determination. Her path reminds us that progress is built through persistence, honesty, and the courage to keep moving forward. 

Continue following our First-Generation College Celebration series as we highlight YES Prep alumni who are breaking barriers, rewriting narratives, and opening doors for those who follow. 

Explore more from our College Initiatives series: The YES Prep College Advantage and After the Diploma.