jesse-85College is the BEST!! I’ve had days where I felt overwhelmed and thought that I might not be able to make it to the end of the week, but that comes along with the transition. It’s something new, it’s something challenging, but it’s something you can handle.

When I first got here, the workload seemed impossible but it just takes getting used to. I’m feeling WAY better now that I’ve learned to balance things out and really find ways to make time for the things that really matter. I’m sure I’m still going to have days where I want to crawl into a corner and assume the fetal position but I’ve got everybody back home counting on me! You gotta find that special something to give you strength.

The opportunities in college are endless and the experiences you have here are going to stay with you forever. For example, I met Dolores Huerta on Friday!! She was the co-founder of the United Farm Workers (UFW) along with Cesar Chavez; she is a major civil rights leader who pioneered the way for not only Chicanos, but for all oppressed people. It was truly an honor to meet her. My friend Jesus-Mario and I even got to drop her off at the airport!! It was pretty crazy.

These opportunities are out there; you just have to reach for them!!

Who are you going to meet? Who are you going to impact?

Well, that all depends on how much work you put in now, while you’re still in high school.

I’m still a little shook from the honor of meeting Dolores Huerta.

If you work hard enough now, people could say the same thing when they meet you one day.