WEBVTT

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My name is Teresa Alonso Leon and I majored 

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in social science with a Chicano studies minor.

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applause

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My journey really started when I was a young person. 

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I'm the oldest of five so I kind of learned how to delegate a lot of responsibility.  

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And those skills sets lead me to really looking at how I coud serve our community better.

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Today, in addition to being a community leader, I'm also a consultant.

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And I focus on higher ed, leadership development and health care equity.

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I attribute my current job success to my higher ed education. 

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I wasn't going to give up until I earned my master's.

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And so I was able to get my undergrad at Western Oregon University 

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where I had some of the best memories

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and had some of the best professors.

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And they changed my life. 

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When I talk to other first-gen students, I tell them, 

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Western Oregon University is the place that you need to be. 

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It's a place where you're going to be able to achieve your goals. 

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And help you find that career job that you want. 

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I consider Western Oregon University a home away from home.  

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Because as a first generation student, first person in my family to go to college,

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I knew that I was entering a new aspect of 

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not just my life but my entire family. 

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And I believe that any student who comes to Western will have that experience.

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And have a job waiting for them once they're done. 

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And you're going to make your family proud.

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And you're going to make yourself proud 

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for the achievement that you've been able to accomplish.  

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music