Corinne Espinoza Duran FP '07

South Hadley, Massachusetts

Growing up in Colorado, I became frustrated during high school.   Just before graduation, I dropped out. Later, while living in Los Angeles, I began using the tuition reimbursement offered by my employer to take classes at Santa Monica College. I’d become a mother by this time, and at my wonderful community college, I found school rejuvenating; it fed my spirit.

A dear aunt, the first in my family to graduate from college, urged me to go to school full time. I was divorced by then, so I thought the logistics seemed impossible. Still, I Googled something wacky like, “full time mother go to school.” Amazingly, the web site for Mount Holyoke College’s Frances Perkins Program came up!   As I read about the program, I felt it was made for me. After I was accepted, and importantly, awarded financial aid, everyone in my life pitched in to help me save money to make the move to Massachusetts.

I knew when I started that I wanted to major in economics.  My interests include poverty, taxes and gender economics.  This year I’ve embarked on a senior thesis.  I’ve been lucky enough to do funded research on the topics of gender economics and unpaid work in Mexico and Sweden.  My son traveled with me both times; I designed each project with him in mind. Finding myself funded to do research abroad felt like a great reward for believing in myself. When I look back, those first steps I took in applying to Mount Holyoke were terrifying. But daring to believe in myself has proved rewarding.  I’ve learned women should—and can—go after what they want.