By Bill DeBaun, Senior Director, Data and Strategic Initiatives
Reading time: Five minutes
“Being in college has been a blessing. College is the opportunity to grow and be the person I am today. To have a family that was there to be with me through it all. It’s a thing not only for my parents, family, and friends to be proud of but also for
myself. To participate in the opportunity that college gave me gave me the drive to be the person I am today.”
The testimonial above exemplifies and encapsulates the stories of so many students served by National College Attainment Network (NCAN) members across the country over the past 30 years. This particular testimonial, however, came from Ravien Burns, an
alumna of Dillard University (New Orleans, LA) and CG Consulting Media Scholar, who shared her experience during the Student Voices plenary at NCAN's 2025 National Conference in NOLA.
Burns was joined by two other students. First, Alyssa Medrano, a junior at Delgado Community College (New Orleans, LA) majoring in psychological sciences and sociology served by the NOLA College and Career Attainment Network (NOLA CCAN) and Generation Hope. Second, by Lucas Estrada, a student double majoring in accounting and business analytics at Loyola University New Orleans served by Puentes New Orleans.
The panel was moderated by Stephanie Joncas, Social Impact Partnership Manager at Equitable.
“It’s important to reflect on one simple truth: the power of student voices,” said Joncas. “When you take a moment to fully listen to students’ voices, we move from good intention to real impact. Voices make changes to programs that reflect real challenges
and the problems students face. Inclusive and transformative change can come to programs through student voices.”
Each panelist shared what getting their college degree meant to them and their family.
“To give value to the sacrifice of my mom,” said Estrada. “She put me in college. She believed in me since the beginning. It’s breaking a cycle, being the first one of my family. I don’t want to be a model for my sisters, but I want to show them a way
they can go through so they can have the same opportunity my mom gave me.”
Medrano also noted the opportunities college affords her. “Stability and opportunity, the things I would love to chase in my life, come from getting a college degree. It is important for my growth and for those who come after me. Especially being a teen
mom, the statistics for graduating before [age] 30 is less than 2%. This pushes me forward. Not just for me but for my son and for those who came before me.”
Medrano found a valuable push through Generation Hope, which focuses on serving student parents and which is celebrating its two-year anniversary in New Orleans. “Generation Hope has been a big support system where it’s giving me resources I need like
tutoring or degree acceleration funds to get my books,” explained Medrano. She also noted really strong support from her family, which provides childcare while Medrano is in class. “Those two are my village, my support that I cling to a lot.”
Estrada found a similar push through Puentes. “At the beginning when I was in high school and trying to get help getting into college, the hardest part was to find that help to find that way to get into school,” he explained. “I went every day into my
counselor’s office. She got tired of seeing me every day. Sadly, I didn’t get the support in my high school. I had to go out. I met Puentes. They gave me everything I needed – them and my mom. The community I found were like me, who need help, and
I like to be there and not ignore people like I was ignored once.”
Burns, for her part, is also working to provide supports to others. “Mentorship is the biggest thing, especially now. To listen, to really listen, [students are] here to be the leaders of tomorrow, but it also depends on people being there to be the shoulder
they can lean on and get support and opportunities from to really help them see their potential.” She urged the audience, “Don’t gatekeep on anything. There are so many opportunities that are out there.” She cited two mentors in Dillard’s Mass Communications
program who made connections to CG Consulting, which then connected Burns to other opportunities. She wants that for other students as well: “to have all of you to be there to listen to us, that is the biggest change that a student can have in their
life.”
The narrative around questioning the value of college has become prevalent in recent years, and the student panelists addressed this as well.
Burns noted: “Attending college is ‘worth it.’ Every moment you’ll have challenges, highs, lows, but it was all worth it to get my degree. People will say, ‘It’s a paper,’ but it’s not just a paper, you earned it. It’s something you can look back on and
really say you did it. It is worth it, it’s something to really take in to know that it’s something to look forward and not take for granted.”
Estrada admitted that “there are many ways to be successful in life,” but also noted that “college is the safest one, for me.” Noting the huge investment both in economics and time commitment, he said “If there are people who have the opportunity to go
to college, they should. It is worth it, but it is not easy, but it is totally worth it.”
The student voice plenary has become a reliable source of inspiration in recent years as it lifts up the perspectives and experiences of those served by NCAN members every day. This year’s edition was no different. On behalf of the NCAN staff, I’d like
to thank Burns, Medrano, and Estrada for sharing their time and enthusiasm with the #NCAN2025 audience. We surely wish the very best for you moving forward, as do the more than a thousand conference attendees invested in your futures.
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