Bottom Line

Natalie, a sophomore at Illinois State University (ISU), has always been dedicated to her education.

“School makes me happy,” shared Natalie, who is the youngest of four siblings. “My siblings had a different pathway, but they weren’t surprised about me wanting to go to college.”

While her family was supportive of her desire to go to college, Natalie’s mom was concerned about college affordability and her moving away from home. Natalie submitted her FAFSA and explored scholarship opportunities that covered almost all of her college costs, and she hopes students like her don’t give up on finding ways to pay for school.

“Students should know that the help is out there, the money is out there, but you have to find it,” said Natalie. You can do anything if you put the work into it. It’s not going to be thrown to you, but if you put the work into it, you can make your dreams come true.”

Her high school counselor helped her plan for college and explore different schools. She was nervous about some of the larger colleges her counselor encouraged her to apply to, but her counselor also shared a list of other programs that could offer her continued support after she graduated high school.

“Having that support system was very important to me,” she said. “Because everything would be new, and no one in my family had done this before.”

Bottom Line was on the list, and she hoped they would offer the support she was looking for. She applied to the college Success program to get support while in college, but she was nervous about her first meeting with her new Bottom Line Advisor.

Her high school counselor and brother encouraged her to at least try it, and she even brought her older brother with her to her first meeting, which was held in Bottom Line’s office in the Loop. Once she met her Bottom Line Advisor, however, she felt confident about staying in the program.

Her first year of college at ISU forced her to adapt to a myriad of changes.

“I didn’t know anyone going to my college, and I’m the first in my family to go to college, so it was hard to go away for school. This was a fresh start, and it was a really big deal for me,” she shared.

Natalie eventually got to know her campus, her three roommates, and new friends in a Latin sorority, and she felt like she was finally hitting her stride last spring. That’s when COVID-19 hit.

“It was like someone pulled a rug out from under me right when I was getting the hang of things,” she said. “My grades were good; my social life was good. I was so excited to go back to school after spring break, but then everything changed.”

The switch to virtual learning and new social distancing guidelines meant she had to move back in with her family. While living in a shared home has sometimes made it difficult to focus on her classes, Natalie has found that online learning wasn’t as challenging for her because of her good organization and scheduling skills. In some ways, she even found it beneficial.

“It’s hard to raise your hand in a 300-person class,” she said. “But students have each other’s backs more with online classes.”

By connecting with classmates through different online and text group chats, she and other students help answer each other’s questions and keep up with course materials.

Through all of the changes over the last year, Natalie has regularly met with her Bottom Line Advisor, who has encouraged her to grow more comfortable asking for help when she needs it, particularly in such uncertain times.
“I grew up very independent, and I’m still independent,” she said. “Asking for help is hard for me to do. I try to figure it out myself so that I don’t have to.”

Her Advisor encouraged her to ask for help when she needs it, like going to a professor’s office hours or signing up for tutoring in difficult subjects. Now, she feels confident asking for help, even for the little things.

“We all struggle. Just ask for help,” she shared. “If it weren’t for my Advisor, I would be so stressed out. I would feel like I was on my own.”

Getting used to the social restrictions caused by COVID-19 has also taken getting used to. While she used to see her roommates and friends every day on campus, it has been difficult to stay connected since they moved off-campus.

“The majority of my friends that I met my first year live in the suburbs, and I live in the city,” Natalie said. “I have some friends that decided to leave school or some friends who are not sure what to do next…We are checking in on each other, but it’s difficult.”

While she works hard to continue putting herself out there to create a virtual social life, she looks forward to when they can connect in person again.

Natalie is currently majoring in psychology, and she hopes to eventually go to graduate school and become a therapist to help others.

“I’m a person that just wants to help the whole world, even if it’s small,” she said.

Through all the challenges of college and COVID-19 so far, Natalie is determined to follow through on her dreams for not only herself but also for her young nephews.

“They’re my motivation to stay in college,” said Natalie. “By going to college, being successful, and getting a stable job, I want to be a role model to them. I want them to have the best life that they could ever have and pursue their dreams.”