A student posed this question last week? What if I hang out with gang members?
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
FOOD FOR THOUGHT!!!
Why is it that some can enure the harshest of conditions and excel and others cannot???
Friday, March 25, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Becoming a Triton, University of California, San Diego
My name is Jessenia Nuñez and I graduated from Mendota High School in 2010. I am a first generation college student. I come from a large family of 9 and both of my parents are El Salvadorian, and work in the fields. I am currently a first year at the University of California, San Diego and I love it. I live less then 5 minutes from the beach and the weather in San Diego could not be better. Thus far my overall experience has been extremely wonderful. I am majoring in Political Science and I hope to minor in Ethnic Studies. I live in a suite with 9 other girls and that’s were some of my best college memories have happened. My suitemates come from different parts of the state and different cultural backgrounds, and I have become very open minded to different cultures and people. Not a day goes by where I don’t meet new people.
My college experience began in the summer; I was part of a one-month transition program called Summer Bridge. This program was absolutely one of the best programs that I've been part of. I got to meet many students that came from similar backgrounds as I did, and I made friends that I know will be my friends for the rest of my life.
Once school started in the fall everything seemed to be going by so fast. Although classes are really challenging and I have to work tremendously hard I enjoy every day that I am there. There are days that I feel discouraged because things become difficult, but once I overcome my obstacles I feel as if nothing can stop me from reaching my goals. I am currently employed at a dinning hall and they are very flexible with the hours because they know that we are college students and our education comes first.
I’m really excited for next year because I have been hired to be a Residential Advisor and that is something that I really wanted to do. Living in a big city like San Diego and going to one of the top public universities in the country is drastically different from the small town I come from but it’s an experience that I wouldn’t change for anything.
I’m really grateful for the people that helped me get where I am today. Programs like that migrant program gave me a push forward so that I can obtain a higher education.
My UC Davis Experience Thus Far
My name is Raquel Calles. My parents are from El Salvador and I was born in California. I recently graduated from Mendota High School and am now attending UC Davis’s college of engineering. My intended major is biomedical engineering. I love UCD! The community is very warm and welcoming. There are many frozen yogurt shops that delight anyone’s sweet spot. Living close to the arboretum is wonderful because each day I get to see ducks with their ducklings, the sereneness of the water, and the beauty of all the plants.
I feel like each day I am proving all stereotypes wrong because aside from being a Hispanic girl, I became a mother my first year of college. However, I did not quit on my dreams. I want to show my son that no matter the challenges one is faced with, one should never give up on their dreams and goals. I have continued to follow many of the plans I had prior to the baby, by volunteering at two elementary schools here in Davis and helping with the organization of MECHA in Davis and MASA in Sacramento State. I have also joined intermural softball and every day I am showing everyone that a young Hispanic lady can blossom into a woman and keep going; getting stronger by the minuet of accomplishments.
I started school by living in the dorms and joining the student council but once I found out I was pregnant I was faced with a different ordeal. I moved out of my dorm and into the UCD student family housing I was promised that my son would have daycare and that as long as I kept my grades to par I would graduate from UCD. UCD had always been my dream, finding out that I was going to have a son my first year set me back on some aspirations such as going abroad but I thank God for the blessing he sent me. If anyone reads this I just hope they understand that dreams can be followed no matter the circumstance. I am proud now to be a mother. My son is 3 months old, healthy, happy and beautiful. Me, I am almost done with my first year and excited to start my second year. However I know that I will be here for 5 years since my major is a bit challenging and Mendota high doesn’t prepare its students for higher level math or science. A few years from now I hope to be able to blog about my graduation and all the challenges that I overcame. I am thankful for all the help that family, friends and overall UCD has provided me with. I thank God every day for being by my side and guiding me towards the right ways.
Hope this story inspires all to be strong, happy, and see the world through their good eye. Good luck with school and always study hard!
-Raquel Calles
I feel like each day I am proving all stereotypes wrong because aside from being a Hispanic girl, I became a mother my first year of college. However, I did not quit on my dreams. I want to show my son that no matter the challenges one is faced with, one should never give up on their dreams and goals. I have continued to follow many of the plans I had prior to the baby, by volunteering at two elementary schools here in Davis and helping with the organization of MECHA in Davis and MASA in Sacramento State. I have also joined intermural softball and every day I am showing everyone that a young Hispanic lady can blossom into a woman and keep going; getting stronger by the minuet of accomplishments.
I started school by living in the dorms and joining the student council but once I found out I was pregnant I was faced with a different ordeal. I moved out of my dorm and into the UCD student family housing I was promised that my son would have daycare and that as long as I kept my grades to par I would graduate from UCD. UCD had always been my dream, finding out that I was going to have a son my first year set me back on some aspirations such as going abroad but I thank God for the blessing he sent me. If anyone reads this I just hope they understand that dreams can be followed no matter the circumstance. I am proud now to be a mother. My son is 3 months old, healthy, happy and beautiful. Me, I am almost done with my first year and excited to start my second year. However I know that I will be here for 5 years since my major is a bit challenging and Mendota high doesn’t prepare its students for higher level math or science. A few years from now I hope to be able to blog about my graduation and all the challenges that I overcame. I am thankful for all the help that family, friends and overall UCD has provided me with. I thank God every day for being by my side and guiding me towards the right ways.
Hope this story inspires all to be strong, happy, and see the world through their good eye. Good luck with school and always study hard!
-Raquel Calles
My name is German Ramirez. I was born in Cihutlan, Jalisco a beautiful town near the beaches of Mexico. I grew up in small town next to Cihuatlan, named “EL Charco, (the puddle) Colima”. My ranchito although small is a very nice place to live. Believe it or not a film took place there and in some of the villages around the area. The name of the movie is “Rudo y Cursi” performed by Gael Garcia y Diego Luna. Great movie, I recommend it!. Now back to my secret.As a mentioned before, my ranchito it is very small and the school was composed of two classrooms. The first room was made up of students from 1st – 3rd grade and the second grades 4th-6th. We were about 20-30 students in each classroom. Every student had books depending on their academic level. My teacher strategically divided the classroom into three groups according to levels. I recall every morning my teacher had an assignment ready for us. That was the best way to start the class and from there she would stop one group at a time and teach the lesson. Then she’d assign an assignment and continue with the next group and so on. It was very hard to learn but that how it is when you live in small village.
The first time I paid attention to the importance of school was during the 6th grade. We had no Junior High or High School in the area. I really wanted to continue an education and I wanted to finish the highest level possible. The closer Junior High was in Cihutlan, Jalisco but it is a 20-minute drive and of course we didn’t have a school bus. I still recall my mom’s word with pain “I am sorry mijito, but I don’t think you will be able to continue studying”, I didn’t even want to ask why. I knew the culprit was transportation and the lack of money.
Sometimes you just get lucky! That same year when I was about to finish elementary school, a new junior high was built on the village. My mom got so happy because she really wanted me to continue my education. It was called Tele-Secundaria. Believe it or not, all of the lessons were taught via TV. I happily graduated from the Tele-Secundaria. Then I came to this country.
Back to step 1. Coming to the U.S was not easy. Everything was different to me. My mom enrolled me at Dinuba High School the same week I arrived. I had to finish high school in three years. I wanted to walk on stage with my class. The other option was to move me back a year, but I didn’t want to. When there’s a will there is a way. After long negotiation, my counselor agreed to give me partial credits for classes I completed in Mexico. There another battle began; I was behind one semester in credits. To compound the challenges, I didn’t know a word of English. Consequently I had to take English as a Second Language classes. I put a lot of dedication because I really wanted to graduate on stage. After jumping through all of the hoops, I did it!
At first I dint know if I would be able to attend college so I worked to help my mom. But the dreamer that I am did not forgive me that easily. I had dreams of attending CSU Long Beach. Little that you know, I got accepted to CSU, Long Beach. Wow what exhilaration. But life has a weird way of telling us how insignificant we are. I could not go! Give us you say, never… Not I! That summer after I stopped feeling sorry for myself, I enrolled at a community college. You see, it doesn’t matter where you get you degree as long as you get one. I didn’t know what I wanted to study so many wonderful choices. After changing it professions four times, business called me. I received my degree in Business Administration with an option in Accountancy. You see, I feel so proud of myself because I paid all my education with my hard work and dedication. Yes you read correctly, no grants, no loans… all paid by the fruits of my labor (not by choice). I worked at the packing-houses during my entire college career. I am not going to sugar coat it, it is super hard to be a full time student and at the same time a full time employee. You have to be two people on one. Although I wanted to get involved in some type of activities at the school, I just didn’t have the time. Free time is limited but that’s the price one has to pay for success. I learned about life the hard way and that’s what makes me so strong.
I am a dreamer. I dream lot. I have many projects in mind. I know they may not be easy to achieve, but they are not impossible either. One of my dreams is to have my own export fruit label. I have created a logo with my label named “G`man Fresh”, so far many people have liked this. I just need the one with the money. “Sonar no cuesta nada” (dreaming is free), so let’s dream. I don’t know how many of them I will accomplish but it’s not for lack of trying. All I know is that I have the GANAS to do it.
I am planning to return to school in the future to get a Master within the education field. I do love numbers but, I love being outdoors and people too. Going to different schools to help students is something I truly miss. You see, I think that children need someone to help. They need a mentor who will guide them through the obstacles of life. Some times parents don’t know how to help their kids because of the language or lack of education. Educating parents is something we need to work on. Parents will have a better understanding of how the school system works, what different programs are available for their children. Not too many of our people graduate from college now days. We are the one who could make a difference in their lives.
Sometimes we learn the hard way but who said, “Life is simple”. Sacrifice is the key word for success. Set as many goals as you can, you may not accomplish them all but you will learn from them. Heck, if I attained Bachelors degree, I don’t see why you cannot.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
My secret
Hello my name is Dr. Alfredo Ponce. As much as I hate to brag, I think it is important to tell our stories for the sake of our students. I was born in LA, taken to Mexico at the age of 2 months (along with my twin brother). I lived in a small town and in the high country. In the ranch, we attended one of two schools each about a 5 mile walk. The class was a small room with no door and window frames. My classmates ranged from 5 years to 18. We were all learning the same thing. Go figure! In the town school, the last school the last grade I completed was the 3rd grade. The following year, I was to re-do the same grade along with my twin brother Angel and my older brother Nato. Poor teacher! We came to the states at the age of 8. Talk about culture shock. I recall I was offered a burrito and thought to my self "why would anyone want to give me a burrito (donkey). I quickly learned a "burrito" was a taco in a flower rather than a corn tortilla". Apparenlty, I was not Mexican enough... The language barrier was a different challenge. My brother and I found ourselves in a race to learn English. In a weird way, we knew our survival depended on it. Over the next fiew years, I underwent a series of identity transformations: from the school boy to the homeboy, to the nerdy boy to jock boy... Somehow, the jock stuck (no pun intended). My brother and I were not the greatest atheletes, but were very willing to please our coaches. So we worked tremendously hard. The hard work and the will to please others is what I think got me here today. Being with others who wanted to succeed was so inspiring for me! At one point, I had no idea what careers were much less their path to attainment. I recall others saying "I am going to be a teacher, coach, physical therapist, principal... I said to my self "If they can do it, so can I"... A Native American saying says "shoot for the moon. If you don't get there you will be among the stars". And so I survived from the dreams of others and on my journey I discovered mine! My journey has been and continues to be a great one. Along the way, I have completed one bachelors degree, two Master's degrees and what a very small percentage of the population have acheived a doctoral degree all totalling 13 years of post secondary education. Along my path, I found the love of my life whom in an academic battle holds her very own. As I reflect on my journey filled with joy, I discovered my secret. Like to hear it? here it goes! As a child, I was so curisous to see how things were made and what made people tic. Today, aside from the loves of my life, wha I enjoy most is figuring out how things work (computers) and what make people tick (psychology) just as when I was a young boy. My advice... close your eyes, think back to when you were 5, 6, 7, 8 years old. Ask your self "what did I enjoy doing? What amazed me? what piqued my curiosity? what consumed me? What is the thing that when you are wrapped in it makes an hour seem like five minutes. When you have answered these questions, you will have found the purpose of your dreams!!!
Dream big and work hard!
Hello my name is Dr. Alfredo Ponce. As much as I hate to brag, I think it is important to tell our stories for the sake of our students. I was born in LA, taken to Mexico at the age of 2 months (along with my twin brother). I lived in a small town and in the high country. In the ranch, we attended one of two schools each about a 5 mile walk. The class was a small room with no door and window frames. My classmates ranged from 5 years to 18. We were all learning the same thing. Go figure! In the town school, the last school the last grade I completed was the 3rd grade. The following year, I was to re-do the same grade along with my twin brother Angel and my older brother Nato. Poor teacher! We came to the states at the age of 8. Talk about culture shock. I recall I was offered a burrito and thought to my self "why would anyone want to give me a burrito (donkey). I quickly learned a "burrito" was a taco in a flower rather than a corn tortilla". Apparenlty, I was not Mexican enough... The language barrier was a different challenge. My brother and I found ourselves in a race to learn English. In a weird way, we knew our survival depended on it. Over the next fiew years, I underwent a series of identity transformations: from the school boy to the homeboy, to the nerdy boy to jock boy... Somehow, the jock stuck (no pun intended). My brother and I were not the greatest atheletes, but were very willing to please our coaches. So we worked tremendously hard. The hard work and the will to please others is what I think got me here today. Being with others who wanted to succeed was so inspiring for me! At one point, I had no idea what careers were much less their path to attainment. I recall others saying "I am going to be a teacher, coach, physical therapist, principal... I said to my self "If they can do it, so can I"... A Native American saying says "shoot for the moon. If you don't get there you will be among the stars". And so I survived from the dreams of others and on my journey I discovered mine! My journey has been and continues to be a great one. Along the way, I have completed one bachelors degree, two Master's degrees and what a very small percentage of the population have acheived a doctoral degree all totalling 13 years of post secondary education. Along my path, I found the love of my life whom in an academic battle holds her very own. As I reflect on my journey filled with joy, I discovered my secret. Like to hear it? here it goes! As a child, I was so curisous to see how things were made and what made people tic. Today, aside from the loves of my life, wha I enjoy most is figuring out how things work (computers) and what make people tick (psychology) just as when I was a young boy. My advice... close your eyes, think back to when you were 5, 6, 7, 8 years old. Ask your self "what did I enjoy doing? What amazed me? what piqued my curiosity? what consumed me? What is the thing that when you are wrapped in it makes an hour seem like five minutes. When you have answered these questions, you will have found the purpose of your dreams!!!
Dream big and work hard!
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