As the first American-born child in a large, immigrant family, Yaselis, who goes by Selly, developed both responsibility and self-sufficiency early in her home. Her mother, who did not speak English, worked tirelessly to provide for the family—leaving Selly to navigate school and major life decisions mostly independently. “My mother’s job was to make sure we had a roof over our head, food on the table, and that we were all healthy,” Selly shares. “I had to research and make a lot of decisions on my own.”
Her educational path reflected that independence. After attending Boston Public Schools, Selly enrolled in the Epiphany School, an independent school for children of economically disadvantaged families, and later joined METCO, a state-funded program offering Boston students access to suburban public schools. “My mom didn’t know that she was signing documents for that. She just knew that I would say, ‘Sign this. You have to be here at this time on this day’,” Selly recalled.
Throughout it all, Selly balanced school, work, and family responsibilities. She had been working since she was 14, often holding multiple jobs while pursuing her education. “I’ve always tried to make the most of every opportunity… I felt a responsibility to make it worthwhile. Not just for me, but for my family,” she says.
“The relationship that I was able to build with my mentor was everything I needed to just keep going. It felt like someone finally said, ‘Let’s connect. I want to see you, outside of your job and responsibilities.”
As a first-generation college student without a roadmap, Selly felt a significant gap in preparedness compared to her collegiate peers. After a serious car accident disrupted her first attempt at college, she continued to work while enrolling at Bunker Hill Community College, determined to keep going. Soon after she discovered Year Up, a tuition-free program for young adults that provided professional training, college credit, and corporate internships. She also discovered Alray Scholars, which provided her with the additional support she needed to truly thrive in her college career.
Her time with Alray played a pivotal role in shaping the confidence she carries today. Beyond financial support, the mentorship she received made a lasting impact. “I needed someone to see me and truly hear me,” Selly says. “My mom was so busy working, and my family had high expectations of me, but I didn’t feel like they necessarily saw me—they were more focused on the certificates I brought home.”
Through Alray, that changed. “The relationship that I was able to build with my mentor was everything I needed to just keep going,” she shares. “It felt like someone finally said, ‘Let’s connect. I want to see you, outside of your job and responsibilities.” That sense of being seen and supported helped Selly push through challenges including financial instability and lack of guidance.
She recalls one moment in particular that stayed with her to this day: she and her mentor were at a restaurant across from TD Garden before a basketball game. “She had asked me questions like how are you doing? How’s school? How’s work? And all these other things. And I was answering her,” Selly reminisces. “She told me, ‘You sound like a robot. You’re telling me everything I want to hear. I need you to tell me what’s really going on.’ That moment meant everything to me. I’ve never forgotten that one conversation—she saw me for who I was.”
With the support of Alray and Year Up, Selly not only completed her college education but also built a strong professional foundation. After earning her bachelor’s degree from UMass Boston in Human Services and Psychology, her career journey took her from retail jobs to corporate roles at companies like Marriott, Reebok, and National Grid. Along the way, she proved to herself that she could succeed. However, success, as she came to realize, wasn’t just about titles or stability.
While her degree led her to a career in Human Resources, Selly always felt a pull toward something more creative. “I didn’t want to be perfect anymore,” she reflects. “I wanted to be myself.” That realization is what led her to take a leap of faith—leaving behind her corporate career of more than ten years to pursue entrepreneurship.
Today, Selly has fully stepped into the design world not just as an entrepreneur, but as a professional embedded in it. She is the in-house designer and architectural and design representative at Stone Showcase, where she works alongside architects, interior designers, and builders daily. At the same time, she is co-founder of EVRHOUZ, a home and lifestyle design studio she is building alongside her husband. Through both roles, she is combining her understanding of people with her longstanding passion for art and design: helping clients transform their spaces through interior styling, renovation consulting, and staging. “You still need to understand your client,” she explains. “How they want their home to feel, their story… there’s a real connection between psychology and design.”
When asked what she’s most proud of, her answer is clear: choosing purpose over comfort. By stepping into entrepreneurship, Selly is not only building a business, but creating a legacy for her family. Looking back, earning her degree represented more than academic achievement. “It showed me I could accomplish something I once thought was unattainable,” she says. “But what matters just as much is perseverance, resilience, and the relationships you build along the way.”
For Selly, being an Alray graduate means something deeply personal. “Being an Alray graduate means I was not left behind. I was given a second chance, and I was seen for who I truly am,” she shares. To current and future Alray Scholars, she offers this advice: “Honor your journey and stay open to where it may lead. Growth often comes from bold decisions and believing in your vision.”
Yaselis’s story was captured and written by Julianne Stein.