When 2015 Grand Island Senior High School graduate Jaime Bautista reflects on his experience with the Nebraska College Preparatory Academy, one thing is for sure: it changed his life.
"Without NCPA, I honestly do not know what would have become of me, whether I would have strived in high school, attended college or gone directly to the working field."
In the fall of 2015, Jaime headed to Lincoln as a freshman at Nebraska. He considered studying computer engineering but he also thought about becoming a lawyer because helping people in need is something he has always wanted to do since he was a child.
"My goal for the future is to one day be able to have a career I genuinely love and then to be able to maintain my parents financially as they once did to me," he explains.
As one of six siblings, Jaime will be the first in his family to attend college. Not only has his family been supportive, but he’s gained what he calls a “Second Family” through NCPA.
"My favorite part of NCPA is getting to know one another and sharing some of life’s greatest memories with each other. Once strangers, we created a family."
Meanwhile, his advice to students thinking about applying to NCPA is simple: "Apply now!"
"It’s a beautiful program that motivates and helps you through everything and anything you experience in life as well as high school. It helps bring out the best individual inside of you and they make you become a hard working student. Indeed, if you wish to become an exceptionally talented student while having fun, NCPA is the program for you."
Jaime said he is thankful for the great opportunity NCPA has provided him and that it stressed the importance of college, motivating him to do great in school.
"NCPA has changed my life in several ways. It has taught me that anything you set your mind to you can achieve."