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Student Spotlight: Interview with Alyssa Branch

We sat down with Alyssa Branch, one of our newest students in the CU-Philadelphia cohort, to find out why she chose College Unbound, who she looks to for inspiration, and where she likes to take people when visiting her hometown.
Q: What made you decide to take the plunge and join College Unbound? Why now?
AB: It wasn't "why now". It was because of College Unbound. College Unbound was the school that I wanted to go to because it finally put into perspective that school is not just about the things that you have to read in a book. Learning should be experiential.
Q: What was your experience with college like before CU?
AB: Now I had previously gone to college for three and a half years but that just didn't end up working out for me. I never wanted to go to college because I'm like, I hated high school so I already know how this is going to go. I'm just going to go somewhere where I'm not at home you know what I mean? But I wanted to have a degree and so when I saw that it was for a Bachelor's program in Organizational Leadership & Change I’m like well I can get my bachelor’s in half the time that I would have to get an associates degree and it just made more sense. School, the way it's taught the way we learn it, I don't agree with, but the way it's being given to us with College Unbound, I do agree with. Because it is about saying “How can you create change in this world”.
Q: Is there something that stands out to you so far about CU?
AB: College Unbound was the school that I wanted to go to because it finally put into perspective that school is not just about the things that you have to read in a book. School or learning should be experiential.
AB: Thomas Norton in Financial Aid. He is probably one of the most likeable, caring, kind, financial aid advisors I've ever experienced. Anything I ask him, even if it’s not related to his job, he's going to give it to me.
AB: What I've always wanted to do in my life is create change somehow somewhere. School, the way it's taught the way we learn it I don't agree with, but the way it's being given to us with College Unbound I do agree with. Because it is about saying "how can you create change in this world".
AB: Yeah, I definitely have an idea. I currently work for the city in the Office of Homeless Services. I assist giving vouchers to people who are experiencing homelessness. The issue that we're having here within Philadelphia, and I’m sure in other places throughout the United States, is not finding landlords who want to lease. So my thing is I want to create a Landlord Coalition that will specifically create housing or allow their housing that they purchase to be allotted to the people that we’re giving vouchers to.
AB: Great question! My strongest skill has always been my speech.
AB: My mother. Absolutely my mother. My father is a pastor. She is also a minister. My mom has always motivated me. She's not afraid to go to school. She doesn’t care what age she is, she wants to get her degree. A degree, 2 degrees, 10 degrees! She always want to get it. She's the one who always just tells me who I am and I believe her.
Tacos.
AB: Oh that's a hard one! I love all types of different music. I don't have a favorite, I have a mood. It’s always going to be some type of Blues Soul R&B or a neo soul type. India Arie has always been one of my favorite artists.
AB: I love Reading Terminal. It's a great place! When you're taking people places, people want food. It’s a part of everyone’s culture so you take them to get an Amish breakfast or you go get Beiler's (Donuts) or you go somewhere and get some food. That's what you do!
AB: I would have to say Marc Lamont Hill. I actually have met him a few times at his coffee shop, Uncle Bobbie's, and he's just one of the most sane down-to-earth people who speaks his truth. He's got such a spirit of humbleness about him that I just truly appreciate.
AB: Our learning is not about our own selves. When I get my bachelor’s degree, it’s not just because I want to get a job and make money. When I get my bachelor’s degree, I want to be able to say I created something so I can assist other people. One thing that my mom always tells me is that we are in this world because we are the less broken helping the more broken. We’re all broken but we’re here to help each other and that's what I like about this degree is that it's not about me. It is about "How am I going to implement change in this world to help others?".