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The 74 reported on Jessica Navarro-Davalos, a first-generation Latina from Paterson, New Jersey, who worked while attending a private high school and helping her family. She graduated in 2025, enrolled at Northeastern University and hopes to become a lawyer and pursue politics.
Jessica Navarro-Davalos, a Paterson, New Jersey, student who worked as many as 20 to 30 hours a week while attending a private high school, graduated in 2025 and enrolled at Northeastern University, according to a profile by education news outlet The 74. Her story describes how work, school and helping her family shaped her high school years and her plans to study political science.
Navarro-Davalos received a scholarship to attend a private high school in North Haledon while she was in ninth grade. The school was about 10 minutes from Paterson, but she told The 74 that the social and economic differences between the communities made her feel out of place. She said she was the only Latina in her honors classes and heard classmates talk about expensive clothes and vacations while her family struggled financially.
She began babysitting and tutoring at about 14, then worked part time at Starbucks during her junior year. She said she used her earnings to pay for a bus pass, save for college and contribute a small share of her paychecks—about 10% to 20%—to household expenses. Her parents, who worked minimum-wage jobs, did not ask her for the money, she told The 74.
Work also placed pressure on her school schedule. Navarro-Davalos said she sometimes worked closing shifts and did not finish assignments until after 11 p.m., staying up until 1 or 2 a.m. and getting about five hours of sleep. She described grades slipping from A’s to B’s as especially difficult because she believed she could do better if she had more time to study. She also recalled a classmate making a mocking remark after hearing her speak Spanish on the phone.
Work Shaped Her Path Through School
Navarro-Davalos’s account illustrates how a student’s school experience can be affected by responsibilities beyond the classroom. In her case, a paycheck helped cover transportation, support her household and build college savings, while work hours competed with studying and rest. She told The 74 that her job was also a place where she felt more comfortable than at school.
Her story also connects economic difference with a sense of belonging. Navarro-Davalos said classmates did not always understand why she worked or contributed to household expenses. That experience informed her efforts outside school: at 16, with help from a mentor, she started Stars NJ, a nonprofit that offers free tutoring to children from low-income households. She remains involved, according to the report.
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From Paterson to Northeastern
The profile was part of The 74’s Barriers Before the Bell special report. Reporter Jessika Harkay said she contacted more than 100 students around the country to learn about obstacles they face before the school day begins. The article presents Navarro-Davalos’s experiences and reflections; it is not a survey of all students who work during high school.
The report describes economic contrasts between Paterson and North Haledon. It says more than 20% of Paterson residents live below the poverty line and gives the city’s median household income as about $56,000. For North Haledon, it cites an average annual income above $125,000 and a poverty rate below 4%. Navarro-Davalos told The 74 she hopes to study political science at Northeastern, become a lawyer and later work in politics. She said she wants to help improve Paterson.
What the Profile Does Not Establish
The report gives Navarro-Davalos’s account of her workload, school experience and family contributions, but does not provide independent records of her hours, grades or household finances. It also does not establish how common similar experiences are among students nationally. The article offers no broader data on how paid work affects academic outcomes, and it does not detail the amount of financial aid Navarro-Davalos received or her current college schedule.
College and Community Plans
Navarro-Davalos has enrolled at Northeastern University and plans to major in political science, according to The 74. She hopes to become a lawyer and later pursue a career in politics, while remaining involved with Stars NJ. The report does not specify a timeline for those career goals or describe any upcoming expansion of the nonprofit.
Key Questions
Who is Jessica Navarro-Davalos?
She is a graduate of a private high school who grew up in Paterson, New Jersey. The 74 profiled her experience balancing school, paid work and family responsibilities.
How many hours did she work while in high school?
Navarro-Davalos said she faced the pressure of working 20 to 30 hours a week while keeping up with school. The report describes evening closing shifts during her junior and senior years.
What did she use her earnings for?
She said she paid for her bus pass, saved for college and gave her parents about 10% to 20% of her paychecks to help with household expenses.
What is Stars NJ?
Stars NJ is a nonprofit Navarro-Davalos started at age 16 with help from a mentor. It provides free tutoring to children from low-income households, and she remains involved, according to The 74.
What are her plans after high school?
She graduated in 2025 and enrolled at Northeastern University. She plans to study political science and hopes to become a lawyer and later work in politics.
Source: the74million.org
