Cory Tondreau has struggled with a lifetime of poverty, abuse, sexual assault, homophobia and mental health challenges. After failing out of college her first year, she worked hard to make her dream of earning a degree become a reality.​​

In 2016, Cory graduated with honors from California State University, Chico, with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. A first-generation college graduate, she is now pursuing a master’s in psychological science.​​

After excelling during her first semester of the master’s program, Cory accepted a position as lab coordinator in the Chico State Learning Cognition and Instruction Research Laboratory. In 2017, she received a prestigious research fellowship at Technische Universität Dresden in Germany. While maintaining a 3.9 GPA, she furthered her research in cognition, learning and instruction, and she served as a peer mentor and advocate.​​

Cory plans to pursue a doctorate in educational psychology so that she can become a researcher and professor to help others attain their educational dreams.​​​