Lynette Cortes Howden
Mathematics Instructor
I am a proud daughter of immigrants. For me, college equated to success, to financial security, to the American dream. I was highly-motivated in high school and did well enough to go straight to a four-year university after graduation. I chose to attend UC Santa Barbara. I loved my experience at UCSB but when I first arrived, I struggled. Like, really struggled. My parents would ask how it was going and I would give short answers because: how to explain to them what I myself didn’t understand? I was trying but I wasn’t getting the results I wanted. By pure luck, I saw a flyer for a program that seemed interesting. I applied and was accepted into the McNair Scholars Program. They provided me financial support, guidance, mentorship, but most importantly: a community. I began to thrive in college, not just survive. I graduated in four years to receive my Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics. At the graduation ceremony, my family took up two entire rows! They made the 4-hour drive to see me graduate in person because my accomplishment was just as much theirs as it was mine. A few years later, they got to see me do it again when I received my Master’s degree in Mathematics from Fresno State. It can be done! ¡Si se puede! Generational change can be achieved. Find your community and work hard every day to make it happen.
My mother's parents were Dust Bowl and Great Depression survivors. My father came from a family broken by the Great Depression. As a result, my parents never got chance to go to college for economic reasons. When my parents divorced, it essentially meant that my sister and I would also skip college. Therefore, I joined the US Navy. After starting a family and returning to the civilian work force, I decided college was critically important. However, that decision did not come at a young age as I was 40 when I returned to school. During my nine-year journey my wife worked 2 jobs (sometimes three) while I committed to the academic rigor and journey. I did work the entire time as a tutor and Graduate Assistant. I will never forget the journey, struggle, accomplishments, sacrifices, or the life-long friends made along the way. Three degrees and one certification achieved and now I teach the most important discipline in academia.
My journey to college has been very long, yet satisfying. I have been the first and only person in my family who has completed college. I attended right out of high school, going to a private college at first. I then decided that community college was a better fit for me. I was able to get all of my General Ed done cost efficiently, since I had to pay for college all on my own. I ended up transferring to Fresno State where I earned a Bachelor's Degree. Later, I decided to go back to school and get a Master's Degree. In fact, I now have two Master's Degrees! From start to finish it took me 22 years, but I am proud to say I did it all on my own. I worked full-time, was a single mother, took care of family, and experienced difficulties. Through it all I wanted better for myself, and I knew an education was going to help my achieve that.
