Arlen Cordero knew as a teen that her future included two things: a college education and a career helping others. Born to parents who immigrated from Cuba, Cordero was encouraged to work hard and learn, but also informed early on that college tuition would be her responsibility.
While in middle school, Cordero discovered her passion for volunteering, which followed her into high school. During this time, she volunteered with multiple clubs and tutored her peers, which ultimately led her to discover her mission of helping others.
As Cordero discovered her passion for helping others, her older brother introduced her to the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. As the first in their family to graduate from college, he told Arlen and her older sister about the importance of scholarships to help pay for school.
She enrolled in West Port High School’s dual enrollment program with the College of Central Florida where she would eventually earn her associate’s degree. After graduation, she enrolled at the University of Central Florida where she was awarded the UCF Top Ten Knights Scholarship and the Florida Academic Scholars Award, which covered 100% of her tuition.
Having received scholarships to pay for her education, Cordero managed to remain stress free and excelled academically. She was able to author a 106-page thesis at the honors college, earn the valedictorian title, and maintain a 4.0 GPA. Along with her notable academic success, Cordero takes great pride in her ability to graduate from school debt free.
After graduating college, Cordero began teaching at East River High School, where she remains one of the youngest teachers in the school system. With all of her students, Cordero stresses the importance of scholarships, specifically the Bright Futures Scholarship Program, as a way to pay for college. As many of her students are immigrants themselves, she understands firsthand that those families might not discuss college or scholarships at home, so she makes it her priority to do so in her classroom.
“Not only was the Bright Futures Scholarship Program a stress reliever financially,” Cordero says, “but it opened doors for me and exposed me to new opportunities.”
In her spare time, Cordero enjoys Taekwondo and has even earned her second-degree black belt.
ABOUT THE FLORIDA LOTTERY / BRIGHT FUTURES SCHOLARSHIP
The Florida Lottery puts education in the spotlight with the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. The Florida Lottery is committed to helping students shine inside and outside of the classroom so they can have brighter tomorrows. Since 1988, the Florida Lottery has contributed billions of dollars to education sending nearly one million students to college on Bright Futures Scholarships. Plus, every time you play, you play it forward.