Alexa Pulido, part of the IDEA McAllen Class of 2020, is a proud first generation college student. She has flourished here at IDEA Public Schools. Alexa’s future is bright, but her road has not been without challenges.

Alexa—alongside her mom and sister—immigrated to the United States from Mexico when she was in 7th grade. When she joined the IDEA Team & Family that year, her English language skills were limited, and she found herself struggling to keep up with classwork at her new, rigorous school. Then, Mrs. Davila, her teacher, offered to help her with Direct Instruction, supplemental English lessons outside of regular classes. The motivated teacher and student duo worked relentlessly every day that year, and Alexa’s English improved drastically. “This was just one of the many ways IDEA went above and beyond for me,” Alexa said. “In fact, when my Mom first chatted with my college counselor, Mr. Benitez, she said to him, ‘My daughter wants to go to Yale. Can you guide her?’”

Years passed, Alexa excelled in school and in her athletics, and this spring, her family’s dream came true—she was admitted to Yale University with a scholarship. She will be heading to Yale this fall to study Ethnicity, Race, and Migration.

This May, Alexa participated in a virtual College Signing Day ceremony, which took the place of IDEA’s in-person College Signing Day events, a tradition that has been celebrating seniors’ commitment to college for more than a decade each spring. During the program, Alexa thanked her parents, teachers, and school staff, expressing her gratitude for all their support: “My IB teachers intellectually challenged me and taught me to analyze different perspectives. My mom and dad made tremendous sacrifices to ensure my sister and I had access to a great education. Thank you for all your love and support. Los quiero mucho.”

We can’t wait to see what Alexa—and the entire IDEA class of 2020—will accomplish next. Congratulations!