Alex Mancilla graduated last month from Marquette University, an electrical engineering degree in hand and a job lined up at GE HealthCare.
Behind the educational milestone is the story of a young south side Milwaukee man whose parents immigrated from Mexico and were unable to help him financially. College wasn’t even on Mancilla’s radar until his seventh-grade English teacher pulled him out of class and asked about his plans.
“Was college the dream?” Mancilla asked “I don’t think so. The teachers that we had in elementary school had good intentions but college wasn’t something talked about. They would tell us to go to college but didn’t say how. There was no robust path to get there.”
Paving a path for Mancilla, 22, and hundreds of others was All-In Milwaukee, a nonprofit supporting diverse, low-income Milwaukee students through college and into their careers. Corporate and individual donors cover their college costs, so most graduate without any debt. Equally important is the advising support students receive throughout their time on campus.