Mayra Quea came to the United States as a child from Peru with her parents. Her background led to an interest in learning about diverse cultures and perspectives. That is one of the reasons why she chose to major in history at Trinity Christian College, with a pre-law minor. For Quea, learning about various cultures closely relates to her interest in law.
A first-generation college student, she lives with her parents in Northbrook, Illinois. Now a junior, Quea says a friend invited her to visit Trinity Christian College. God was calling her to Trinity Christian, Quea says, adding she could see herself at the campus café, taking classes and living in a dorm on campus. “It was a push or a nudge in the right direction,” she says.
One big draw is that the student-professor ratio is about 12:1, Quea says. “It’s really amazing that our professors take the time to get to know us, to learn our names instead of being in a classroom with 200-plus students and having lectures. There’s so many people from different backgrounds, so I think that’s pretty awesome,” she says.
Quea plans to attend law school after earning a bachelor’s degree and has an interest in immigration law. “After graduating law school and passing my bar exam, I think I’d like to work for the first 2-to-3 years in a company. Then after working in a company, getting experience, I will go back to school to get a business degree, because I want to open up my own firm,” Quea says.
Along the way, an ACI General Scholarship helped her remain in school. “My family went through a long period of financial hardship. There was major talk of me not going back to Trinity because I could not personally afford it, and my parents could not help me out anymore,” she says.
“So receiving this ACI scholarship was a true blessing, and I’m super grateful for it because without this, I would not be here,” Quea says. “I know there are at lot of kids out there like me that go through financial hardship, that are paying for college on their own, and their parents cannot pay for all college or they’re not getting enough scholarships.”
To Quea, the ACI scholarship is an “amazing” opportunity. “It’s a beautiful thing, given to those that really need it,” she adds.
At Trinity Christian, Quea serves as a Student Activities staff chair, planning social activities and events for students. She is also a Diversity Scholar, where she learns about diverse cultures and engages in community activities. Quea has also worked for three years as a receptionist at a nursing home in Northbrook.