This National Foster Care Month, Pivotal is proud to celebrate the relentless pursuit of our community of students who, despite the odds stacked against them, continue to persevere towards a limitless future. Their success in attending college isn’t just their own – it is a big part of their family’s success, and we are proud to support them through this arduous journey. Check out our National Foster Care Month page to learn about our other scholars.
THROUGH ALL MY STRUGGLES.
By Fiston K., Pivotal Alumnus
For most of my life, I felt like I didn’t belong. I’m the only son of seven children. Five of my sisters and I were separated from the rest of the family in the Democratic Republic of Congo when I was seven years old. We lived in Uganda for seven years before I moved to the United States when I was 14. It’s been a long journey to get here– my sisters relied on me to keep them safe and to be strong, even when we didn’t know what the future held.
When I came to Pivotal, I was a senior in high school. I was determined to succeed, and I knew that an education would help get me where I wanted. When I graduated high school, I immediately started at De Anza College as a full-time student and an NCAA track and field athlete. After I got my Associate’s degree from DeAnza College, I went to San Jose State University and was recruited on their track and field team. I thought I was well on my way, but school was harder than I thought. I struggled to keep my grades up so I could stay on the team, but I fell into a bad slump my first term at SJSU and was put on academic probation.
I knew I had to adjust but didn’t know how. My Pivotal coach, Nate, stuck by my side the whole time – he helped me see that this was not my defining moment. Together, we came up with a plan to make up the classes I had missed. He connected me with a tutor for the subjects I was struggling with and helped me transition to a major that was a better fit for me. I moved from the Mechanical Engineering program to a degree in Business, with an emphasis on Advertising. Things started to look up!
In 2021, I applied for a Pivotal internship. Tom Fandre, Pivotal’s Internship coordinator, helped prepare me for success. He helped me clean up my resume, coaching me on interview skills, and more. I couldn’t believe it when I scored an internship with HP! I worked with their data and printing teams, and I learned so much during my internship! I did so well that I impressed my boss at HP, and in November 2021, they offered me a full-time job – without even having to interview for it!
Through all my struggles, I was fortunate to receive support from kind and generous people who wanted to help.
I’m now a Marketing Analyst at HP, managing campaigns for the Marketing team. I love the work I do and the culture of this company! I feel challenged, and for the first time in a long time, I feel like I belong.