About the Blog: Poverty2Professional was created in November 2015 by Angela Sanchez to share her journey from homelessness in high school to higher education. Through sharing her experiences, Angela hopes to raise awareness around the issues and obstacles facing homeless youth in their pursuit of education, one of the few remaining avenues of social mobility. In discussing college access and its complexities, Angela hopes to provide a relatable voice for other students — both in high school and out — who may be going through the same circumstances or similar.

About the Blogger: It was with the onset of the Recession that Angela Sanchez found herself and her family homeless during her last two years of high school. Since then Angela has held a deep regard for students who struggle for their educational rights while combating homelessness. Although she had never seen any of the campuses she applied to until she was admitted to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) as a freshman in 2009, Angela was inspired to continue higher educational outreach to homeless students. Angela continues to provide motivational talks and mentorship for students across Los Angeles.

A first-generation college graduate, Angela completed both her Bachelor’s in History and Master’s in Education at UCLA. Her work includes supporting postsecondary initiatives around college access and retention for underserved students.