Israella’s story

“I am really thankful and grateful for Northwest Education Access and Erra for everything they have done for me!”

Israella first connected with Northwest Education Access (NWEdA) in 2022. She had finished high school, as well as running start, and was continuing her education at UW Bothell. However, a difficult family situation pulled Israella away from her educational journey.  No longer able to afford her tuition, she decided to take a gap year to figure out her next steps. 

During this gap year, she found NWEdA, and got connected to Erra, who is one of our education advocates. 

With Erra’s help, Israella enrolled in Lake Washington Tech. She shared, “I spoke with Erra more than I did my advisor. Any questions or concerns I had, I could send an email or text and they would answer. Without Erra, my first quarter at Lake Washington Tech would have been confusing and hard to navigate. Apart from this, Erra also made sure to remind me of upcoming deadlines, send me scholarships, and opportunities at the organization.”

After graduating from LW Tech, Israella is now currently working toward a degree in computer engineering at Western, where she is also finding joy in being in a debate club. 

In addition, Israella is serving her second year on the Alumni and student Advisory board, after Erra recommended she join.  She shared, “I'm really happy to be part of ASAB. I want to be able to help in any way that I can. And I'm really happy about that.”