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Ayala attended a private, liberal arts college called Lewis and Clark College and graduated in 2008.

Ayala was involved in the Advancement Via Individual Determination and Link programs while in high school. She had many friends and approachable teachers in each class. She was also able to easily talk to the administrators for support and guidance.

“She faced a lot of obstacles, including family, and she did really well,” said Raul Bermudez, Guidance counselor at Granite. “Rosy is the only one who went to Lewis and Clark and she did really well.”

Ayala had one specific memory while attending Granite that she will never forget.

“I remember our AP Civics class had finished our tests and we all were messing around, watching a movie,” said Ayala, “but we found out our principal was doing a walk through and wanted to show off our class. So everyone took out books, passed them around, threw them at each other, they ended up side down, but we were just trying to play nice for our visitor. It was just the whole idea to try to make our teacher look good.”

After graduating Granite, Ayala decided she wanted to try something new and attend a college out of state. She liked the idea of going to Oregon because of its beauty and friendly people.

“I was only one of three people who went out of state,” said Ayala, “I just wanted to go somewhere new.”

Ayala started off majoring in Psychology, but then switched to Sociology and Anthropology.

There are about 2,000 students that go to Lewis and Clark College, including the undergraduates and the graduates. A huge difference from attending a private college is that the classroom sizes are extremely small compared to state colleges.

“The teachers know your name,” said Ayala, “they know what you do, and there are some teachers that will call you in your dorm room if you do not show up to class. They want you to do well and pass.”

One thing state schools are not able to offer is private funding to help with student loans.

“My loans ended up being 5,000 dollars after four years,” said Ayala, “I was able to pay them off in one year. Most people end up in debt about 88,000 dollars after their four years of college.”

Photography by Julissa Hernandez