Crystal Lake Central graduate Sylvie Gonzalez Lopez, Class of 2025, was one of over 1,000 students nationwide who applied to the AVID Student Speaker Contest, a prestigious opportunity that invites students to tell their stories of growth, perseverance, and impact through the AVID program. Sylvie was chosen as the closing student keynote speaker, addressing an audience of more than 4,000 educators at Chicago’s McCormick Place.

Her speech reflected on how AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) helped her overcome anxiety, find her confidence, and believe in her voice. AVID is a program designed to support students in developing skills for academic success, college readiness, and personal growth through mentoring and collaborative learning. She shared how, as a freshman, she dropped out of her Honors English class because participation and group discussions felt impossible. That began to change when she joined AVID. The program’s tutorial process encouraged her to ask questions, speak in front of her peers, and slowly build the confidence she once lacked.

“By the end of freshman year, I found myself getting used to speaking in front of people and raising my hand in class,” she said. “I learned to speak clearly, hold my head higher, and make my voice heard.”

Through the support of her classmates and teachers, Sylvie says AVID transformed not just her academic life, but her sense of self-worth.

“After working with hundreds of AVID students, I can say Sylvie truly embodies what our program strives for—confidence, academic growth, self-worth, and the courage to find student agency and voice,” said Shannon Levitt, AVID teacher. “Seeing her shine on that stage, representing herself, her family, our CLC AVID family, our community, and all first-generation college-bound students is a memory I will always cherish.”

Now a first-year student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Sylvie is studying psychology and pre-law through the Illinois Commitment program, which covers tuition and fees for qualified Illinois students.

Her story is a testament to the confidence, perseverance, and lifelong skills that AVID builds and proof that, as Sylvie said in her speech, “AVID works.”

Watch Sylvie’s full speech here: Link to Video