Mariana Gonzales ’07

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Mariana was born to working class parents living on the southeast side of Chicago. Like many working class families, the Gonazalez struggled to make ends meet, and paying for private school was not even a consideration. The educational opportunities available to Mariana in her neighborhood were less than stellar, with college-bound students being the exception, and not the rule.
 
Mariana enrolled at FXW and excelled academically. Thanks to Mariana’s hard work and the support of the faculty and staff at FXW, she was admitted to St. Ignatius and was offered a full scholarship. She excelled academically at the school, and graduated in June 2011 at the top of her class. She received a full scholarship to Georgetown University and is currently majoring in International Studies with a minor in Portuguese.
 
“The staff at FXW recognized the potential in me and have supported me every step of the way. I don’t know how I would have accomplished so much without FXW and CATC,” she says.