Yesterday, as their keynote speaker, I stood before a room full of bright, determined sophomores at the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Goodrich Scholarship Program Sophomore Awards Ceremony. It was more than a speech: it was a homecoming. As a proud Goodrich alumna, returning to the program that once opened the doors of higher education to me was deeply emotional and profoundly humbling.

My journey to college wasn’t straightforward. I remember finding my college acceptance letters in the trash - my parents, fearing they couldn’t afford tuition, had discarded them to spare me disappointment. As the eldest daughter of six in a working-class immigrant family, college seemed like an unattainable dream. But the Goodrich Scholarship Program changed that narrative. It provided not just financial support but a community that believed in me when I struggled to believe in myself, an insecurity I’ve shared, publicly, with the Nebraska Examiner and during my speech.

Aimed at providing access to higher education for low-income Nebraskans, the Goodrich Scholarship Program was established in 1972 through legislation championed by Nebraska Senator Glenn Goodrich. The program was a bold initiative. Over the past five decades, it has empowered more than 3,500 students, many of whom are first-generation college attendees, to pursue their academic and professional goals.

Standing at the podium, I looked out at a room filled with students who reminded me so much of myself — full of promise, but perhaps carrying quiet fears, unseen sacrifices, and unanswered questions about what comes next. I knew then that this moment wasn’t just about giving a keynote; it was about sharing something real.

I told them that some truths are too profound, too sacred, too human for logic alone to grasp. Sometimes, the weight of your lived experience can’t be fully explained… it can only be felt. That’s when the heart steps in to remind us of what the mind might overlook: Our strength. Our worth. Our purpose.

So yesterday, I spoke from the heart. I spoke my truth — the truth of a first-generation Latina college student who once found her college acceptance letters thrown in the trash. The truth of someone who built a career, a life, and a legacy from a foundation poured by the Goodrich Program.

And the thing about truth is that it’s relentless. It lingers. It hums in the background of our lives until we’re ready (or brave enough) to give it voice.

Yesterday, I rose. And I will continue to rise — not just for myself, but for every student who doesn’t yet see how far they’ll go.

As I stood on stage, I invited someone very special to join me. Tally Velasco, a powerhouse member of my Lozafina team and a fellow Goodricher who graduated from UNO just last year. Our paths crossed because of the very program we were there to honor, and it was through the Goodrich community that she found her way to me.

Tally Velasco and Josefina Loza

“I wanted the students in the room to see, firsthand, the importance of those kinds of connections,” Loza said. “They are often the quiet bridges that lead us to opportunity, purpose, and community.”

I asked Tally to share a bit about her journey, one that didn’t look very different from mine as a first-generation college graduate, and yet not so different from the stories sitting in that room either.

We’re all fighting for our place in this world, but we don’t need to do it alone. We should be collaborating, networking, and building a strong ecosystem that uplifts one another. I couldn’t be prouder of Tally for bravely standing beside me, sharing her truth, and reminding us all that while I graduated two decades ago and she just one year ago, the fight and the mission remain the same.

To the students: Keep going. Your story is still unfolding, and your presence in those classrooms matters. Your dreams matter. And the world needs your voice.

Support the Goodrich Scholarship Program

The Goodrich Scholarship Program continues to transform lives, just as it did mine. By providing financial assistance and a supportive community, it enables students to overcome barriers and achieve their full potential. If you’re looking to make a meaningful impact, consider supporting the Goodrich Scholarship Program. Your contribution can help open doors for students who, like me, dare to dream beyond their circumstances.

Learn more about the program and how you can help at UNO Goodrich Scholarship Program, and if you feel inclined, I hope you donate to continue the legacy.

Once a Goodricher, always a Goodricher.