Vision Becomes Reality
Reading stories of strength and resilience is powerful, and storytelling itself is a tool I’ve come to deeply appreciate — both in my research and in my life.
I’d like to share a story with you. Let me take you back to 2015. I was a sophomore at Myers Park High School in Charlotte, N.C. and a member of The Salvation Army Red Shield Youth Center [formerly Boys & Girls Club] in the Sedgefield community. On this particular day, my teen director, Mr. Fred, had an activity for us: we were going to create vision boards. At the time, I’d never made a vision board. I knew what it was, but I’d never taken the time to sit down and really map out my dreams. Mr. Fred told us to think of our vision boards as road maps — with our starting points, our pit stops and our final destinations. One thing he emphasized was to dream big.
I was excited. In front of me were newspapers, magazines, glue, scissors, paper – the possibilities were endless. I scanned through, thinking about my goals and my dreams. At 15 years old, I was ambitious. One of my biggest dreams at the time was to become a doctor. A scientist, to be specific.
As I’m there planning out my vision board, I remember feeling this mix of excitement and doubt. “Could I really become a doctor? Could that life actually be mine?”
There are a lot of steps to becoming a research doctor, and I knew college was one of them. I came across a magazine with an ad for University of North Carolina Healthcare. I cut out the logo for UNC and pasted it on my vision board. Next, I came across a health promotion ad by the Centers for Disease Control on smoking. I didn’t know a lot about the CDC. All I knew was that it was a big agency and that they “did science.” I placed the CDC logo on my vision board. For my final visual, I added a clipping of a student using a microscope to represent my aspiration of becoming a scientist.
After creating our boards, we were asked to present. I looked at my vision board and thought, “This may be a little too ambitious!” But, I still shared what was on my vision board with my peers. At the end of my presentation, with a very serious tone, Mr. Fred told me he would be expecting an invitation to my doctoral ceremony when the time finally came.
I realized then that the only person in the room who thought that that my dreams were too ambitious was me. Mr. Fred hung our vision boards on the wall near the teen room entrance so that whenever we walked in, we were reminded of the dreams and goals we were working towards.
A lot goes into turning aspirations into reality. In high school, one of my most pressing concerns regarding applying to universities was the burden of cost. My mom and I didn’t know how we were going to pay for undergraduate tuition, but we had faith and knew that God would make a way.
When I received scholarships from The Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary, which was enough to cover nearly half of my undergraduate education, I was ecstatic and shocked, and so was my mom. I remember this overwhelming feeling of relief and hope — like God was telling me, “You belong here. Keep going.”
I knew that my dreams were within reach. I applied to several universities, and among my acceptances was UNC-Chapel Hill. The scholarships I received made it possible for me to pursue undergraduate studies in developmental science and education at UNC. Knowing that financial barriers would not hinder my ability to complete my degree enabled me to focus on my studies and do my very best.
My schooling did not stop after my undergraduate studies, nor did the support that I received. In order to pursue a doctoral degree in my field of interest, which was public health, I had to have a master’s degree. And I was still determined, one way or another, to become a doctor. However, I did question whether or not it was financially feasible for me to pursue it. Funding for master’s programs is very limited, more limited than undergraduate funding. There were nights when my mom I sat at the kitchen table, creating spreadsheets comparing tuition for different programs, trying to figure out how we’d make it work. Once again, the numbers never added up, but we believed that there would be a way.
I shared with my Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary mentor that I had been accepted to master’s programs, and the first thing she did was share with me an opportunity to apply to a scholarship called the Auxiliary “Bridge for the Future” Scholarship. Through the generosity of The Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary, I was provided with an additional year of funding for my first year of my Master of Public Health in Behavioral Health at UNC. The opportunity to apply for additional financial support through the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary was unexpected, but such a needed blessing. I did not think I would be able to complete my master’s degree without debt, but I can proudly say, with gratitude in my heart, that I am currently debt-free!
An undergraduate degree not only enabled me to pursue graduate school, but it also made me eligible for professional opportunities that I once thought were beyond my scope. In between my undergraduate and master’s studies, I had the opportunity to complete a fellowship in the Division of Violence Prevention at the CDC.
In my application, I was able to highlight my experiences at The Salvation Army Red Shield Youth Center and the support I had received. Agencies who rely on grants for funding also seek people who know how to find and receive funding, whether from scholarships or grants. Walking through the doors of the CDC as a fellow, I couldn’t help but think of that 15-year-old girl staring at a magazine clipping, wondering if this kind of future was even possible. And there I was, living it!
My research experience at UNC and at the CDC, along with my master’s training, prepared me for the next step – becoming “Doctor Aguilar.” In August 2024, I began my Ph.D. in Behavioral and Social Sciences at Emory University, which is fully funded by the university. My aspirations became my reality!
I’m currently in my second semester of my first year as a Ph.D. student, where I conduct research full-time. In a beautiful full-circle moment, my current projects involve working with youth in Metro Atlanta. My research focuses on understanding how young people perceive community violence and the solutions they envision to address it. A central element of this work is empowering youth to see themselves as changemakers through policy advocacy.
What I’ve learned so far is that when young people feel empowered, they become unstoppable. Empowerment cultivates leadership, and the truth is, the youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow. When youth believe they can make a difference, they will. Providing them with the resources and support they need to thrive isn’t just about shaping their futures — it’s about shaping a better, stronger world for all of us.
My training in developmental science helped me understand how crucial social support is to the well-being of youth and families. Youth benefit greatly from having trusted adults in their life who believe in them, guide them, and encourage them to be great. The mentorship provided to me by The Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary is priceless because for the past 7 years of my life, my mentor hasn’t just offered support; she has created a space where I feel seen, valued and capable of anything.
My public health training has helped me further understand how financial barriers can hinder one’s ability to pursue higher education, and how that can further hinder financial mobility. Investing resources into youth means investing into their families. Investing into families means investing into communities. And the impact continues across generations. The generosity of The Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary doesn’t just help one student go to college. It creates a ripple effect — building stronger families, healthier communities, and a future where every young person believes their dreams are possible.
When I think back to that day in the teen room, creating my vision board, I realize that what I was really doing was daring to believe in a future that felt out of reach. But the truth is, dreams like mine only become reality when generous people invest in them. Our stories are proof of what happens when young people are given the resources to thrive. And my only hope is that more youth will get to create their own vision boards — and see every part of those dreams come true.