Derrell Melton

Derrell MeltonSiena College
Class of 2010
Liberal Arts
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York

The Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) is one that enables disadvantaged students who come from low income families a level playing field at a college education. To me, HEOP is the opportunity of a lifetime. HEOP has opened a door for me. No one in my immediate family has ever attended college. HEOP has allowed me to break that chain and become a role model for future generations in my family. Because nobody in my family attended college, I had no one to seek advice from about the admissions process. HEOP offers that help to students who want more out of life, but can’t turn to their families for guidence. Without HEOP, I would not have been able to attend Siena College. The most I could have afforded would have been a community college. I am convinced that I would not be receiving the same quality education at that type of institution as Siena provides me with. HEOP at Siena College means a fair opportunity at life and a career. It has changed the way I behave, think, and interact with others.

I am the Vice President of Ryan Hall, the treasurer of my freshman class, a member of Pathfinders Org., a Siena College mentoring program participant, and a member of the HEOP Headlines newsletter staff. I can confidently say that HEOP has shaped me into the outgoing person that I am today. I’ve learned that when people are economically disadvantaged, chances are they will always be disadvantaged because it’s hard to change economic classes. With the help of HEOP, and a college education, students can work to change that injustice. I believe that all people deserve a chance at a better life.