Celebrating 10 Years of Impact
First in the Family with the Trojan Family: Nathalia Ortiz
As a first-generation student at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, Nathalia Ortiz didn’t have anyone in her immediate circle who could walk her through FAFSA or the college application process. That changed when she met USC CAC advisers Casey Bonstein and Alondra Ulloa in her high school’s college and career center.
“We became besties,” Nathalia said, smiling. “They made my experience applying to college way easier. I still reach out to them today.”
Their support extended far beyond paperwork. “It wasn’t just about getting into college—it was about feeling like I belonged there,” she explained. Nathalia and her twin sister formed such a close bond with the advisers that their family did too—her parents even made them tortas.
“It was like having big sisters. And my parents felt that too,” she added.“ They were so grateful that if they couldn’t help us the way they wanted to, someone else was there who could.”
Today, Nathalia is thriving as a USC undergraduate majoring in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Studies. She continues to stay connected with both Casey and Alondra, and she’s even considered becoming an adviser herself.
“This program didn’t just help me get to college—it made me want to give back. That’s the kind of impact it had,” Ortiz said.
Navigating Financial Instability to the Fortune-10: Marco Cruz
When Marco Cruz first met Dennis Funes at the College & Career Center at Millikan High School, college wasn’t part of the plan. Juggling long work hours to help support his family and couch surfing for lack of stable housing, Marco’s GPA suffered, and higher education felt completely out of reach. In fact, when his friends would come into the college center, Marco stood quietly in the background. It was Dennis he pointed through the crowd to him and said, “You. What about you? When are we filling out your college application?”
“I didn’t have anybody else to go to. I’m the first person in my family to attend college, I couldn’t go home and ask my mom, dad or any of my siblings for help with the admissions process, Marco said. “Dennis was that parent figure for me, he helped me by answering all of my questions. He changed my life.”
Dennis took the time to get to know Marco and helped him view his future in a different light. Together, they explored college options and filled out financial aid applications, a process Marco never imagined himself navigating. Dennis’ support didn’t just guide Marco, it impacted his younger brother too who would also go on to attend college.
“It completely changed our family,” Marco added, “It pushed us out of poverty, I never thought this was in my cards.”
Marco went on to attend Cal State Long Beach and majored in accounting—a major that he ended up deciding with Dennis by his side. Today, Marco is a financial analyst for Chevron, a Fortune 10 Company—a long cry from days of housing instability and an uncertain future.
Once a Student, Now the Adviser: Adamaris Figueroa
In 2018, Adamaris Figueroa sat in a government class at Dominguez High School when two USC CAC advisers introduced themselves. Now, years later, she walks those same halls again not as a student, but as the adviser.
After majoring in psychology and briefly working in a mental health clinic, Adamaris realized her heart was always with students. Her internships, jobs and passions had all centered around youth development and when she remembered the impact of her high school advisers, she knew exactly where she wanted to be.
“I literally just remembered the college center and the advisers always being there. And I thought—wait, I would love to do that,” Adamaris said.
Today, she works alongside the very team that once guided her through the college process, proof that the USC CAC model creates ripple effects that stretch across generations.
“It’s been really nice to have that familiar face—the adviser who once helped me is now the one supporting me as a colleague,” Adamaris added.
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