Sitting in a hotel room, with the Atlantic Ocean between him and everything he had ever known, Mateo Herrera finally had time to reflect on his journey.

He was grateful not for the distance, but for the chance to experience something that had always seemed so far out of reach.

During the summer following his sophomore year of college, Herrera said he studied abroad in London, England, through Explore First, a reduced-cost education abroad program for first-generation students at the University of Kentucky.

Herrera, along with 14 other students, spent three weeks exploring the city, navigating public transportation, visiting cultural landmarks and attending classes taught by professors affiliated with the American Institute for Foreign Study Abroad.

A “life-long” soccer fan, Herrera said his favorite moment was going to Stamford Bridge, or the Chelsea Stadium, home to professional football club Chelsea F.C. It was his first time visiting a soccer stadium.

“Stepping foot on the field was something very surreal to me,” Herrera said. “It was just an overwhelming emotion.”

Although Herrera said many of his Explore First experiences were “overwhelming,” rather than letting those feelings intimidate him, he said they stood as a source of pride.

As a first-generation college student and the son of Colombian immigrants, Herrera said he understood his background posed some barriers, so studying abroad never seemed feasible. 

“Studying abroad is always something everyone talks about, but the reality is it’s a very expensive thing to do,” Herrera said. “It’s a couple thousand dollars that a lot of people, such as myself, aren’t able to afford.”

Nevertheless, Herrera refused to let these limitations define him, saying he had always dreamed of leaving his hometown of Bowling Green, Kentucky, and was not afraid to express his ambitions.

According to Herrera, upon learning of the Explore First initiative, he decided to apply and was ultimately accepted. Completely on his own, Herrera said he proved to himself that anything was possible.

Even after earning this opportunity, Herrera said he remained grateful for it and was aware that many others would love to be in his position.

“There’s people every day wanting to be in the same shoes as me, so I work to take full advantage of that and do everything I can to be successful,” Herrera said.

Moving forward, Herrera said he wants to serve as a role model and share his story with other disadvantaged students to help them see their potential is limitless, regardless of who they are or where they came from.

“I love to talk about my experiences because I really do think sharing a voice with anybody that is able to relate to it, even in a small way, will help them out in the long run,” Herrera said. 

Most importantly, Herrera said, he hopes other underrepresented students realize that they do not need to wait for someone else to show them what is possible.

According to Herrera, sometimes it takes being the first person to step into an unfamiliar space to make it easier for the next person to do the same.

“It’s important to say that you are more than capable to be in any room, any situation, any environment that you want to be in, regardless of being the only one there, being the only face you see that looks like you,” Herrera said. “It’s important to be that one person so the next person can see you and get inspiration off of that.”