SAN DIEGO CITY COLLEGE
Major
Undecided
Acceptances
California State University,
Dominguez Hills
Alma mater
Mission Bay High School
Edgar's Story
The furthest my parents went in school was elementary school.
My parents grew up in very poor families, and they needed to work to help maintain the family.
Even though my parents never went to college, I am inspired by their work ethic. They were always working long hours just to bring food to our table.
My dad is the one who works the most. There was a time when my dad broke his back while working as a truck driver.
My family and I were afraid that my dad wasn’t going to be able to work ever again, but he kept working.
When I was thirteen I got my first job at a car dealership. I had to quit because working long hours caused my grades to go down freshman year.
In my spare time, I would work with my dad doing construction, such as roofing, painting, dry walling, mixing cement, and installing tiles.
School Struggles
I also consider myself a hard worker but, like everyone, I had my struggles.
I attended a large public school, and it was not always easy to go up to a teacher and ask them for help because there were just so many students. I was also under an enormous amount of stress.
I saw how that affected my performance in school, so I did everything possible to bring my grades back up. I went to my teachers after school to ask for help. I went to night school and summer school.
I went to BLCI.
Asking for Help
Since I was in 8th grade, BLCI has helped me with many of the things that my parents weren’t able to help me with in school. My parents don't understand English, and didn’t know a lot math and science.
At BLCI, volunteers were always available to tutor me. I was always studying and doing homework, but my grades went up and I had a higher GPA.
I also asked my mentor, Gregg, for help. He had been pushing me to go to college.
The successful students who attended BLCI, and who are now attending colleges and universities, also influenced me.
Looking Ahead
At BLCI, I learned how to become a responsible and hard working student. Although my personal situation remains about the same, I have learned to persevere in the face of struggle.
I have learned how to take advantage of the opportunities offered to me.
My high school Spanish teacher taught me that it is important that we, as Hispanics, attain higher education, and bring positive change to our community, because we have the opportunity to do so.
I am still undecided regarding my major and career goals, but I do know that I want to make my teachers, my parents and the people at BLCI proud, and to set an example for my two younger sisters.