Living in the East Mountains outside Albuquerque, Joshua knows the challenges young Americans face in getting a job. But he also knows that with hard work – and a little help – he can succeed:

“Today I got the job I've been interviewing for over the past week and a half. But, as hard as I’ve worked personally, I know I couldn’t have done this alone.

“The company, research grants, and the New Mexico job training partnership all helped make this possible. But that’s not all.

“Graduate Assistantships and Instructorships, and the Americorps Internship I was able to earn and maintain were made available through the publicly-funded university I went to. This support helped me rebuild my skills and become a more valuable employee.

“Without all this, and the people who taught me, trained me, and gave me all these opportunities, I would not be where I am today.

“Yes, I was the one who made a great effort to get through the door, but without all these wonderful opportunities it would never have even been open to me.

“This is where the system has worked, and it's because of the efforts of so many wonderful people. I couldn't be more grateful.”

Access to higher education is opening doors for New Mexicans like Joshua. Learn more at http://www.barackobama.com/record/education