Abstract: Born in a humble San Jose home I proud to say to say that it has remained a humble and loving place. The difference now though is that it includes six more siblings, which I am the eldest of.
My mother is a naturalized citizen of the U.S., but she originates from Siloa,Guanajuato. My father is "White" with an Irish heritage and both my parents are devout Catholics. It was inevitable that I was sent to a private Catholic school from kindergarten up to my senior year in high school. One would assume that attending a private school would allow for better college prep and advising, but St. Thomas More lacked completely in both areas. The college applications, financial aid forms and even calls to loan companies were done solely by me. The entire process was difficult enough and a few times I thought to myself, "Is this worth it?"
I had no idea just how much harder studying at St. Mary's would be. Wirthout any financial or emotional support from my parents I started my journey to SMC on a bus, then BART and then one more bus to campus. Besides the long commute to San Jose I payed my tuition by working long shifts at Wal-Mart. Everyday I wanted to give up. I was in pain from the inside out from lack of support and the physical strain of working and commuting. In my heart I knew I wanted to graduate at any cost and with the encouragement of a academic advisor and a certain Christian brother on campus, success was in my hands.
Keywords: first generation, family, mentor, faith, Catholic
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