Ethan Knox

Paula Andrade’s story of relocating to the United States from Ecuador, learning English and choosing her dream college

By Ethan Knox, published Aug. 29, 2023 @ BingUNews (Photo credit: Jonathan Cohen, Binghamton University)

Binghamton University is featuring the incredible story of first-year student Paula Andrade, who has taken an inspiring path from her home country of Ecuador to the United States. She’ll start a different kind of trip this semester: attending college.

In 2019, Andrade’s family was selected from a lottery with thousands of applicants. She was one of a lucky group of 55,000 immigrants who are now permanent residents of the U.S. through the green card lottery, formerly known as the Department of State Diversity Immigrant Visa Program. 

Those selected for this lottery must fit a specific set of requirements and originate from a country with historically low rates of immigration to the U.S.

Andrade and her family’s emigration was delayed in April 2020 due to COVID-19. 

In 2021, when she was just 15, Andrade finally arrived in Plainview, N.Y., from Ecuador, and she immediately set to work — not only did she get a job at Dunkin’ Donuts, working five days a week, but she learned English and devoted herself to her studies.

All that effort and labor made its mark: Andrade committed to Binghamton University in April 2023, making her one of the 18,600 new and returning students who came to campus this semester. The Class of 2027 had a record-breaking 49,500 undergraduate applications this year, a 19% increase from last year.

“I still cannot believe that I’m here, that I’m going to sleep here tonight,” Andrade said. “I’m really excited and grateful that this day came.”

Learn more about Andrade’s inspiring story by watching the video below:Since the age of 12, Paula Andrade has dreamed of living and attending college in the U.S. Learn about her journey from Ecuador to Binghamton, how she learned English along the way, and get to know her supportive and proud family.