No Longer Invisible: Alyssa’s Path to Voice and Vision

Once unseen as a student parent, Alyssa is now a leader—using her story to open doors, build community, and shape the future for families like hers.

New Orleans Scholar Alyssa Medrano remembers how quiet it felt at first—walking onto the tidy tree-lined campus at Delgado Community College as a young mother in New Orleans, holding her son’s future close while balancing her own.

Years before she became a graduate, an honor student, 2025 New Orleans Scholar of the Year, and a leading voice in the Scholar community, Alyssa was a student parent who felt invisible.

“On campus, if you bring your child, you get judgmental looks. It can feel like an unsaid tension. I even felt alone at times in those moments when I first joined Generation Hope,” she says. “Joining the program was a whole new aspect of life for me.”

As she approached graduation, she discovered that her son, Jude, is on the autism spectrum. Jude was kicked out of school, shaking the foundation of the routine she had worked hard to build.

“I had to transition him to an Applied Behavior Analysis clinic full-time for therapy while finishing my last two months of school.”

The strain was constant, and her devotion to Jude was a balancing act with her responsibilities as a parent. “You don’t want to feel like a failure as a parent, but you also don’t want to feed into the stigma and narratives society puts on student parents.”

When it was too heavy, she leaned on her Generation Hope community. “I reached out to my Generation Hope team, not even for an answer, but just for an outlet to say, ‘Hey, I’m going through something.’”

Transitioning Jude to the new school was overwhelming, but the change turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The clinic gave her son the daily support he needed, and Alyssa was able to stay on track to graduate amid the disruption to their routine.

The team was determined to support Alyssa. They first found ways to help her cope, and then invited her into leadership roles that helped her see her talents and power.

“If Lindsey sees an opportunity where she thinks I can be a good leader, she gives it to me and says, ‘Hey, you can do this.’” Alyssa represented Generation Hope alongside Nicole Lynn Lewis in a story about Generation Hope’s program for key local New Orleans outlet, WWL-TV.

Alyssa began approaching new Scholars at Generation Hope gatherings to remind them they weren’t alone. She spoke at events. She let her own story open space for others. When she noticed a Scholar in the program who was quiet, she extended her trademark warmth and authenticity – to let them know she had once felt the same way.

“Being vulnerable in those moments, that’s what makes a good leader,” Alyssa says. “To show, hey, I’m going through the same thing, and we can see our way out together.”

Alyssa with her Hope Coach Malajah Lopez at Generation Hope’s Career Fair

The milestones followed. A 3.74 GPA. Inclusion in the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society, where she now serves as chair of public relations.

“I graduated from Delgado with honors, and now I’m enrolled at Xavier University of Louisiana for psychological sciences.”

Her vision for her future is clear. “Ever since I found out my child had autism, he’s opened a new world for me. I want to help kids get the services they need, and to know they’re not alone.”

Her voice now carries beyond campus. She is preparing to step into a marquee speaking role at the annual convening of the National College Attainment Network (NCAN), using her voice to uplift other student parents.

She is also serving on the Scholar Leadership Council with Generation Hope, shaping the future of our New Orleans program – now in its second year of operation.

“It’s not only getting me out of my shell…but also giving Generation Hope insight into what programs need to do to support every Scholar.”

The transformation is undeniable. “The Alyssa I am today is more confident in her walk and her talk,” she says. “I’ve become a better parent, and I’ve learned how to show up as a friend and as a leader.”

She carries that confidence forward with a message for policymakers. “I think I would urge them to be vulnerable, to be transparent, and to be helpful. They are in a position where they can do all three of those things if they want to. And I feel like…everybody can relate to a single mother trying to make it, a single father trying to make it, whether it’s somebody in your family, whether it’s one of your friends, whether it’s an aunt or uncle.”

Her journey proves what’s possible when student parents are seen. She did not just earn a degree—she claimed her voice, her calling, and a future where her son, and others like him, receive the appropriate compassionate care.

Earning her associate’s degree has already opened doors to a stronger future for her family. At Delgado Community College, she graduated with a 3.74 GPA. Now enrolled at Xavier University of Louisiana and pursuing a bachelor’s in Psychological Sciences, Alyssa is taking the next step toward creating even greater opportunities for herself and her son. On average, bachelor’s degree holders earn approximately $625,000 more over a lifetime than high school graduates—a difference Alyssa is determined to claim for her family’s future.

Finding this vibrant Generation Hope community was a key part of Alyssa’s journey to success. She is excited to welcome the new Generation Hope Scholars beginning their fall semester:

“To other student parents striving, I would just say: show up and show out.”

Generation Hope is currently serving 32 Scholars and their families in New Orleans. Launched in 2023, our New Orleans Scholar Program has already celebrated 5 graduations.

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