What does it take to overcome your circumstances and make it to college?

Roadtrip Nation, along with Better Make Room and the ACT Center for Equity on Learning, wanted to find out. So they sent three first-generation college students, Esther, Ikie, and Estephanie, on a road trip around the country. The trip was turned into a documentary titled Beating the Odds.

“Beating the odds is so much more than overcoming hardship…it’s about pushing forward,” Ikie said in the film.

On their journey around the US, the students listened to and learned from leaders including former First Lady Michelle Obama; Geoffrey Canada, an education reform activist; and Elaine Del Valle, a producer and playwright.

“Don’t be a statistic…Stand on your obstacle,” Del Valle told Esther, Ikie, and Estephanie. “If you can get through that, you can get through anything,”

The film is free to watch on Roadtrip Nation’s website. A discussion guide for use with students is also available.

Ashley Dobson is NACAC’s communications manager for content and social media. You can reach her at adobson@nacacnet.org.