Linh is a sophomore at Mesa College and works with the OPEN GATE program part-time. She is interested in event planning and photography.

"My very first experience of the OPEN GATE program was when I attended a meeting with my mother in 1998.  Teachers from various elementary schools were there to talk about their class and what they can do to help better our education.  At the age of eight, I had never been asked where I wanted my education to take me nor had I any choice about my education.  I was astounded; these teachers were there because they wanted me to be in their classroom and for the first time I was able to make a decision about my own education.  Not only did the OPEN GATE program allow me to choose my educational paths, it also helped me achieve my educational goals.  Coming from a low-income household, paying for field trips such as a two-day field trip to San Francisco and Sacramento would not have been possible without the help of the OPEN GATE program.  The program also provided tutors, whom I still keep in touch with. 

I graduated from Hoover High School in 2008 and I am now in my third year of college as an event management major.  It has been about nine years since I've been in the OPEN GATE program, and they are continuing to offer assistance in any way they can.  Finding a job hasn't been easy, and the program was able to help me find one.  I am currently working part time for the program, helping out with their social media. My future goals consist of graduating from college with a degree in event management and graphic design.  I plan on becoming a wedding consultant who offers stationary designs (i.e. save-the-dates, invitations, etc.). I am also a photography hobbyist, but I am still deciding how or if I would like to tie that into my future career. Since the OPEN GATE program has done more for me than I could have ever imagined, I hope I can give back somehow in the near future."