Written by Odalis M. Jimenez - Xcel Graduate and Senior at FHSU
Many students come from lower or middle income families and often single parent homes. We face adversities such as food insecurity, financial insecurity, homelessness, and family members struggling from mental health issues. I struggled with trusting people and was resistant at times when Xcel mentors offered me homework help or reached out to me because of the issues I was going through in my personal life. I struggled with a learning disability called dyslexia, and with depression and anger issues. Xcel never gave up on me, even when I thought that I was undeserving of a better life. Xcel was more than tutors that helped me with my studies. They were a beacon of light in times of darkness.
Xcel helped me realize that I am more than my circumstances and helped me see the potential in myself when I thought that I was just another lost cause. If you told me when I was a freshman in high school that I would be pursuing a degree in Political Science and working on Capitol Hill in D.C., I would have never believed it in a million years. Today I feel immensely grateful for those in Xcel who never gave up on me. Every day I make a conscious effort to help those in need. I believe that being kind will never deprive you of anything; all it costs is a smile and a helping hand. You never know who desperately needs your compassion, and you will never know whose life you could change by doing simple acts of kindness.