After enduring countless tears, efforts, and stress, senior Wendy Matias Pablo has successfully gained admission to her dream school, Yale University. She reflects on the strengths that helped lead to her achievement and the challenges she confronted along the way. 

 Between her sophomore and junior years, she was accepted into Project Stepping Stone, a college-access program for Indiana’s top high school rising juniors and seniors. From there, she was awarded a scholarship and a leadership award. Whereas, throughout her junior year, she was introduced to many other new opportunities that helped her grow as a person. First came a global virtual program called the Civics Innovator Fellowship. Later, she was accepted into DemocraShe; a visual nationwide program. Finally, she was accepted into the Leadership Enterprise for America Summer Institute (LEDA), a nationwide summer program for high school leaders that took place at two Ivy League schools: Princeton and Yale University.

“My freshman year consisted of me exploring other avenues through classes in the Century Career Center before deciding to commit to a future in law,” Matias said. “The genocide project I did in Mrs. Scott’s English 10 Honors class allowed me to further reconnect with my background and served as the starting point for my consideration into entering international law.”

The survival of her parents who experienced Guatemala’s Mayan Genocide which lasted from 1960 to 1996, was what inspired her to continue her research project for English 10 Honors class, allowing her to connect deeper with her origin and her background.

“Growing up hearing near-death experiences of my role models and instances of extreme educational, economic, and racial inequality that resulted from this genocide and the nation’s historical treatment of Indigenous people pushed me into wanting to further research this tragedy for my English 10 Honors class’s genocide project,” Matias said.  “Wanting to use the opportunities I have obtained that my parents have not, I want to serve as a lawyer to ultimately promote equality for my indigenous Mayan community.”

 She began balancing academics, extracurricular activities, and personal commitments  Though at times she felt doubts over her journey, she knew her improvement was too extended to fall back. 

“I have to actively remind myself that everything I’ve done cannot end here and that there is still so much that I need to do,” Matias said. “I think about my end goals, and that the steps in between may be hard but necessary in order to achieve what I want.”

Wendy acknowledges and appreciates the support she received from teachers, friends and family. 

“My friends encouraged me to have confidence in myself in the college application process, whereas my family was there to remind me that I deserve a break every now and then,” Matias said. “Mr. Bryan Looker, Mr. Jordan Rhodes, and Mrs. Yi-Chun LeFaure are all teachers who have established my academic interest in political science, global affairs and foreign languages. Their classes have taught me the foundational knowledge I need and encouraged me to keep moving forward in my educational journey.”

Her dream is not over just yet, she’s also looking forward to making a change in her country, back to where her parents started and where she evolved the inspiration she now hopes to achieve from far on. 

“Specifically I want to work abroad in Guatemala and continue the hard work of current lawyers in the fight for justice for survivors and victims of the Mayan Genocide that occurred amidst the Guatemalan Civil War,” Matias said. “I also plan later to double major in Ethnicity, Migration and Race Studies, which will allow me to further explore specific concepts relating to tragedies faced by my community, like that of colonialism and its domino effects.”

Enrollment into Yale had its obstacles that Wendy was able to overcome. Now, she’s excited about what awaits her in the future and her chosen career. 

“I’m truly excited to immerse myself in the Yale community. It’s such a welcoming place as I can remember from my visit in the summer and I have already received so many resources to guide my path there upon my acceptance.” Matias said.

“I know Yale, both the institution and its respective parties, will all support me in my goals and dreams. I can already envision myself engaging in the many traditions and clubs found on campus.”