How to Prepare Your Kids for College Without Losing Their Values

In this episode of Vivas y Plenas, Flor Elena Robledo talks with Ingrid Rosario, Christian singer and mother, about a question that weighs on many parents' minds: are we preparing our children just to graduate, or also to stand firm in their values once the world puts them to the test outside the home and away from college?

College is much more than the place where our children earn a degree: it's the environment where they'll strengthen their convictions, build friendships, and discover the purpose that will guide their lives. This episode is sponsored by Liberty University, which invests in Hispanic families with an excellent education grounded in faith, values, and leadership.

Raising Kids with Purpose from an Early Age

Ingrid shares that, since preschool, she's walked alongside her 14-year-old son, exposing him to museums and historical sites around the world, not just reading about history, but living it. For her, that love of learning is directly connected to faith: the Bible isn't just a book of stories, but one meant to be applied to everyday life.

Although she doesn't yet know whether her son will go to college, Ingrid is clear on one thing: an education rooted in values and biblical principles comes first, no matter which institution is chosen.

A Love of Learning That Doesn't End with a Degree

Ingrid recalls that her own college years were 30 years ago, but she never stopped learning. "Education matters enormously to me, but grounded in Christian values. As long as I have breath in my lungs, I won't stop learning and studying," she shared.

How Liberty University Changed the Course of Her Life

Before Liberty, Ingrid wanted to be a physical therapist, and before that, a dancer. Her interest in the connection between the body and science led her to study education and preventive medicine, since the university didn't offer that specific program at the time.

She didn't win the scholarship she auditioned for, but she did receive a scholarship for being Latina, at a time when the university was actively recruiting Hispanic students. In her senior year, she had the opportunity to serve as a missionary in India for a month, an experience that deeply marked her. "My heart was broken by the poverty I saw, and that helped me feel compassion for what Venezuela is going through today too," she shared. In the middle of that process, she was discovered as a singer, and her purpose finally took shape.

A University That Nurtures Purpose, Not Just a Career

For Ingrid, Liberty University can compete academically with any other university, without giving up its Christian values grounded in the Bible. "They're raising up champions who are going to change the world, and I fell into that category," she explained, recalling the vision of Jerry Falwell, who founded the university in 1971 to raise young people with strong principles and a top-tier education.

According to Ingrid, the most valuable part wasn't just choosing a major: the university helped her discover the calling and purpose God had for her life, something she says isn't an isolated case, but a hallmark of that community.

The Emotional and Social Challenges of College Life

Ingrid acknowledges that the challenges of her generation were different from today's (she got her first email in 1994), but at their core, the same insecurities remain: comparison, fear of the future, and the search for identity and acceptance.

One point she highlights is that, in an environment like Liberty, peer pressure still exists, but it's channeled toward the positive: seeking God, studying, and building healthy friendships, instead of the pressure toward parties or substances that many parents fear when sending their kids off to college.

The Influence of Friendships: The Quiet Key Factor

Flor Elena and Ingrid agree that college friendships can either affirm or test the convictions taught at home. Surrounding yourself with people who share the same principles makes it easier to hold onto those values, while the wrong friendships can slowly erode them, even through small everyday habits.

Both note that friendships formed in an environment of shared faith don't just accompany the college years, they often turn into relationships that last a lifetime.

Going Straight to College or Taking a Gap Year?

Ingrid took a two-year gap before starting college, and believes that pause gave her more maturity to make the most of the experience. Flor Elena, though, shares that with her own children she's seen that the right decision depends on each young person: one of her sons took a gap year and arrived with more clarity, while the other went straight from high school and also did very well.

Both agree there's no single formula: it depends on the young person's maturity, their sense of purpose, and what they need in that season of life.

When Classroom Ideologies Clash with Values at Home

Another challenge parents face is that, once at college, many professors don't share the family's faith or worldview. Flor Elena shares that when she noticed too much confusion in one of her sons during high school, she made the decision to move him to a Christian environment.

For both of them, the key lies in two things: the example children see at home, and teaching them to question and firmly defend their own convictions, even when not every teacher shares those values.

Financial Uncertainty: Taking the Step of Faith

Ingrid recalls that her own mother couldn't afford college, and that she even faced cultural pushback when she decided to study far from home. Even so, she felt a strong conviction that Liberty was the right place for her, even though she didn't know how she'd pay for it.

She arrived at college with only $10 and a scholarship that didn't cover the full cost, but over time she secured more financial aid, worked, and by her second year had all her classes fully paid for. "Faith doesn't need to see how it's going to work out. It only asks for one step at a time," she reflected, encouraging other parents to look into available scholarships and resources instead of ruling out the option out of fear or lack of information.

Liberty University: Scholarships for Hispanic Families

This episode of Vivas y Plenas is sponsored by Liberty University, which is offering scholarships for Hispanic families who believe in faith, traditional values, and hard work as part of our identity, whether on campus or 100% online.

A visit could change your life and your family's. Learn more at liberty.edu/UnaVisita.

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Watch the full episode with Ingrid Rosario on our YouTube channel.

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