Four years ago, Fulfillment Fund students Jennifer Lico and Sakina Sayani arrived at the University of California, Berkeley with ambitious goals, questions about if they belonged, and the determination to build a brighter future for themselves and their families.
This past spring, they both crossed the graduation stage at UC Berkeley.
Jennifer earned her bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a minor in Education and is preparing to launch her career. Sakina completed her bachelor’s degree in Nutrition with a minor in Global Public Health and will begin at UC Berkeley’s Master of Public Health Program this fall as she works toward becoming a registered dietitian.
Jennifer and Sakina’s next steps may look different, but their journeys reflect something they have in common: success in college isn’t achieved alone.
While Fulfillment Fund is well known for helping students access college, our support doesn’t end with an acceptance letter. Through our College Success Program, our advisors continue walking alongside students throughout college and into life after graduation, providing academic and financial aid guidance, career readiness support, and encouragement during some of life’s biggest transitions.
For Jennifer and Sakina, that support helped transform uncertainty into confidence.
Jennifer: Finding Confidence and Paying It Forward
Jennifer’s relationship with Fulfillment Fund began in middle school, but a conversation during high school helped change the direction of her future.
During the uncertainty of the pandemic, she connected with her Fulfillment Fund college counselor, Ms. Jinna Lee, during virtual office hours. Together, they explored potential majors, and it was Ms. Lee who first introduced Jennifer to political science.
Before then, Jennifer had never considered it as a career path. As college approached, excitement was often accompanied by self-doubt.
“I had a lot of imposter syndrome,” Jennifer shared. “What if I don’t get into Berkeley? What if no college accepts me?”
Her Fulfillment Fund counselor reminded her that she belonged.
When Jennifer arrived at UC Berkeley, that support continued. Through Fulfillment Fund’s College Success Program, she stayed connected with Fulfillment Fund advisors who encouraged her academically, helped her navigate challenges, and later prepared her for life after graduation.
Most recently, Fulfillment Fund College Success Advisor Keily worked closely with Jennifer on interview preparation, helping her build confidence as she begins her job search.
She met with me consistently and kept telling me, “You can do this. It’s okay to be nervous.”
With the support of Fulfillment Fund, Jennifer also became someone others could lean on.
As a Fulfillment Fund Peer Mentor and, later, a mentor to fellow Berkeley students, she found purpose in helping first-year students navigate the same fears she once experienced herself.
“When I talked to that first-year student, we were both crying because I saw myself in her,” she said. “I really love telling people that they’re not alone.”
Her commitment to service extended across campus, where she served as a Cultural Peer Mentor supporting international students and received UC Berkeley’s Chancellor’s Award for Public Service: The Cheng Zedler First Generation Scholar Award, recognizing her outstanding commitment to serving others.
Looking back on graduation, Jennifer sees more than a diploma.
“I got through college at UC Berkeley,” she said.“I feel like if I got through Berkeley, I can get through anything.”
Sakina: Choosing the Courage to Keep Going
As graduation approached, Sakina found herself facing an important decision.
She had long dreamed of pursuing graduate school, but like many first-generation students, uncertainty about the future made that decision feel overwhelming.
Rather than rushing into an application, she turned to the Fulfillment Fund College Success advisors she had trusted throughout college.
Through conversations with Fulfillment Fund’s College Success team, including Kim, Keily, and Carla, Sakina gained the space to process her goals, work through imposter syndrome, and think carefully about what comes next.
“Fulfillment Fund wasn’t only providing financial support or check-ins,” she said. “It was also providing emotional support. When I was struggling with anything, I felt comfortable sharing those feelings with them.”
Those conversations helped her see her future differently.
“If I didn’t get that support to see it from a different lens, I wouldn’t be able to be at the stage that I am now.”
With renewed confidence, Sakina completed her graduate school applications and was admitted to UC Berkeley’s Master of Public Health program, which she will begin this fall.
Her passion for nutrition stems from a deeply personal experience. After her father’s open-heart surgery, she saw firsthand how difficult it could be for families to access culturally relevant nutrition guidance and health education.
Today, she hopes to change that for others by becoming a registered dietitian focused on serving communities that are often overlooked.
“I wanted to provide a comfort level that lets families of color and marginalized communities adjust into society without having to let go of their heritage and their culture.”
For Sakina, graduation represents more than a personal achievement.
“This isn’t just my degree,” she reflected. “It’s something for my parents and for all those kids who never got the opportunity.”
College Success Means More Than Graduation
Jennifer and Sakina’s stories reflect the heart of Fulfillment Fund’s College Success Program.
Students continue to benefit from Fulfillment Fund’s support long after they arrive on campus. From navigating new academic expectations, financial and societal pressures, and career decisions, to internships, graduate school applications, and the uncertainty that often comes with being a first-generation college student, that sustained investment makes a measurable difference.
Today, 96% of students participating in Fulfillment Fund’s College Success Program persist in college, and 84% graduate within six years, far exceeding national averages.
Success Beyond the Diploma
Jennifer and Sakina are beginning different chapters.
One is entering the workforce. One is continuing her education through graduate school.
Because at Fulfillment Fund, success isn’t measured by college acceptance alone.
It’s measured by the lives students build long after they step onto campus, and by the futures they create for themselves, their families, and the communities they will one day serve.
Help More Students Reach What’s Next
Jennifer and Sakina’s stories remind us that earning a college degree is only possible with sustained support, comprehensive guidance, and people who believe in students through every challenge.
A degree is more than a milestone. It is a launch point. With the right support, students can turn their college experiences into confidence, connections, and opportunities to build meaningful careers, pursue advanced degrees, and shape futures that once may have felt out of reach.
With your generosity, more students can persist through college, reach graduation, and step into what comes next, knowing they have the support to not only earn a degree, but to make the most of the opportunities it opens up.
