We are pleased to honor, Devin Valencia, the “Get Schooled” College Affordability Challenge Winner, as Tr3s’ Agente de Cambio. Applying to college can be stressful, but getting the money that you need to go to college shouldn’t have to be. However, many students say they find applying for financial aid difficult and complicated, and up to 2 million students a year who may be eligible do not apply because they are unaware of the financial aid opportunities available to them. The “Get Schooled” College Affordability Challenge was created to bridge this gap, encouraging students to design digital tools to simplify the financial aid process. Devin Valencia stepped up to the challenge creating Connect Fund, the first-ever social media tool designed to help students navigate through the financial aid maze. Connect Fund is a Facebook application that automatically presents users with a tailored list of scholarship and financial aid opportunities based on their demographic information that is already provided through their Facebook profiles. Connect Fund will also offer students a step-by-step guide on how to apply for scholarships, grants and loans, as well as enable users to tap into their Facebook friends to share information about sources of aid. Devin’s personal story is inspiring in itself. Devin’s parents came to the United States from Mexico and did not go beyond high school, instead working so that they could provide for their family. Devin is the first member of her family to graduate college and she hopes Connect Fund will help others do the same. “I’m the first person in my immediate family to actually attend college and graduate. I’m normal, a normal girl from a normal town, just knowing that I can inspire anyone who is watching this makes me feel proud of my accomplishments and of myself” she said. Congratulations to Devin Valencia! We hope her story inspires you to become an Agente de Cambio! Connect Fund will launch by January 2012, please stay tuned to Tr3s.com for updates.
