Josue De Paz moved to the U.S. as a child and was raised in a single-parent, undocumented household, under the poverty line. Seeing that a computer would open up Josue’s world of possibilities, his mom worked extra jobs to provide him with a personal laptop and dial-up internet. Not only was he able to excel at school, setting him up to receive full scholarships to both Loyola High School and Santa Clara University, but it also allowed him to learn skills that furthered his life in countless ways and completely changed the trajectory of his entire life.

Having grown up low-income and without a built-in professional network, Josue struggled to land his first internship, which enabled him to lead with first-hand experience of designing programs and building community to break the cycles and systemic barriers that students face in unlocking higher education and white-collar professional jobs.

Honor Your Dreams, formerly known as First Tech Fund, was founded in the early days of the pandemic with a clear vision: to close the opportunity gap for students who deserve more than the limits imposed by their circumstances. We saw how a lack of access to technology, mentorship, and professional development could hold talented young people back, and we set out to change that.

Rooted in the belief that every student’s dreams are worth honoring, no matter their zip code or income, we empower the next generation with the skills, confidence, and experiences needed to achieve economic mobility and build the futures they envision.