How PEF’s CAP Program Helped Jayla Earn $70K for College
We met Jayla Velasquez, a senior at Olney High School, during Our Class, Our Future—a big graduation celebration held on May 29th at the Dell Music Center. The event was hosted by The School District of Philadelphia to honor high school seniors from across the city.
Jayla was one of the many students we talked to about life after high school and how it felt to celebrate with her classmates.
“Graduating is a big deal,” she said. “It’s something everyone hopes for, but to actually do it—to get my diploma—means so much to me.”
This fall, Jayla is heading to Widener University, where she’ll be majoring in criminal justice. It’s a choice inspired by her family.
“A lot of my family were in the Army or became police officers,” she shared. “They went through hard times, and that made me want to help people too.”
Jayla said the Our Class, Our Future event made her feel proud and excited.
“It was so fun!” she said. “The music, the energy—it felt like Philly. We were dancing and having a good time, but we were also reminded to stay focused and keep going. That was really cool.”
Jayla also gave a lot of credit to the Philadelphia Education Fund’s College Access Program and the support she received from her College Access Coordinators, Ms. Dymon and Mr. Hector.
“They helped me with everything—especially financial aid,” she said. “Because of their help, I got over $70,000 in aid for school! They also kept me on track with my grades and attendance. I’m really thankful for them.”
Now that high school is behind her, Jayla says she’s most excited about becoming more independent.
“I want to live life my way, make my own choices, and just grow,” she said.
Before we finished talking, Jayla shared some advice for younger students:
“Learn to balance school and fun. If you don’t, it gets stressful fast. You’ll be late or miss homework. Figure that balance out now—it really helps.”
She ended with a few shout-outs:
“Shout out to my mom—the real OG,” Jayla said. “And to the College Access team, Ms. Dymon, Mr. Hector, and all my friends—Noah, Shai, Lily—thank you for always pushing me.”
Jayla has already made Philly proud, and we’re excited to see all the great things she’ll do next.
🎥 Want to hear Jayla tell her story? Watch the full video on YouTube!
