Becoming a leader

Efrain Alvarado is a senior at IUPUI with a double major in journalism with a concentration in public relations and communications studies. He has been a part of DEAP from very early on and was one of the first members to become a peer mentor, a leadership role he held for two years. Alvarado says the value of the program was evident from the beginning of his freshman year when he first came to campus from Hammond, Indiana, and participated in DEAP's Summer Bridge sector.

Alvarado says, "Many students of color are first generation. We don't have family members who know about the process of going to college. DEAP helps make up for that by giving us a support system that can answer our questions and concerns. You learn about scholarships, budgeting, time management and if the staff isn't able to answer your question, they are always eager to connect you with someone who can."

We all come from different walks of life, but we have the same support system with DEAP. It has definitely become my family on this campus.

Efrain Alvarado