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Ashlyn Rojas ’22, Teaching (Elementary Education)

When Ashlyn Rojas was a high school student at Redmond Proficiency Academy, she made a plan. She was going to college, and to afford it she would live at home and earn as many scholarships as she could.

She did it. Ashlyn will graduate from K1����-Cascades in a few months with a bachelor's degree in teaching and an Oregon preliminary teaching license.

It took hard work and a strong dose of grit. But Ashlyn applied diligently for scholarships, earning awards from K1����-Cascades, K1���� Alumni Association and Oregon Teacher Promise.

"I wanted to create a better future for myself," she said. "College has meant everything to me, and it would not have been an option without scholarships."

She’s experiencing real-world training at Tom McCall Elementary School in Redmond as a student teacher. "I entered into this experience knowing it would tell me if education was the right choice for me," she said. So far, so good – Ashlyn loves it.

It’s a challenging time in the classroom as students return from virtual learning. "Students are coming back at different levels, and we are working hard to get them up to speed," said Ashlyn. "My cooperating teachers are amazing."

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After earning her degree, Ashlyn will be back in the classroom – either earning a master’s in education or teaching.

"I’m doing something that seemed impossible,” she said. “If I can make it happen – others can too."