Sarah Gadalla
Hello, my name is Sarah Gadalla, I have been attending Norco College for three years. I am a chemistry pre-med student transferring to UCR in the fall of 2020. I plan on pursuing my passion for helping others by becoming an optometrist. When I first came to Norco College, I was new to the area and had no idea where anything was. I was someone who would leave campus as soon as my classes ended because I was too shy to interact with others. I heard about the amazing resources EOPS provided so it became one of the first programs I joined. Through EOPS I branched out and became more knowledgeable of the endless resources and support the campus has. I joined PTK, The Honors Program, became a summer advantage mentor, and somehow became the President of the Associated Students of Norco College. It’s crazy to think how far I’ve come in such a short amount of time. My experience at Norco College has reignited the passion I have for helping others, and I’m so excited for the next chapter. EOPS was truly the gateway to all the other programs on campus. I am so glad I got to be a part of this group and I will forever cherish the endless support and mentoring EOPS has provided.
Ricardo Garavito
I was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and brought to America at a very young age. Growing up, being able to see both sides of the spectrum was a grand opportunity that expanded my way of seeing the world. I then graduated from Damien High School and went straight into the workforce working for my father. I believed at that time that I was not going to go anywhere else, and after ten years of loyal service, we parted our ways. From there, I went into life insurance sales, and at eight years of service, my boss tried to get me fired. I stuck it out for three more years in the life insurance business because, at the ten-year mark, she has to pay me renewals for the rest of my life. So then retired from life insurance and found myself once again with a mere high school diploma and no job. From there, I was in a major accident that left me completely immobilized in the hospital for 75 days. Also, being married with children did not make things any easier. Not being able just to get up and work in some warehouse made me realize the importance of school. This was when my wife suggested that I go back to school. Thankfully through the CalWORKs program, I was able to go back to school full time. Now, I am going to graduate with three associate degrees.
Micah Landeros
My name is Micah Landeros. I come from a low-income family and I am a first generation college student. Because of certain conditions my siblings and I were living in we were taken by the system and placed in foster care. Because of my situation, it has been difficult to rely on others and get the guidance that I needed to have a successful and stable life. However, I was able to persevere through all of the challenges that came with being in the system thanks to the bond I share with my siblings. At Norco college I am a mentor and student ambassador for the Phoenix scholars Program (they support foster youth) and soon I will be transferring to my dream school, Cal State Chico University. I want my siblings to know there is a bright future for them. Where the people in my life such as my parents, foster parents, and social workers failed me, the EOPS program helped me. EOPS guided me towards my goals and helped me achieve them when nobody else would. They made sure I had all of the knowledge and tools I needed to be successful. If EOPS did not exist I would not have made it through the first stage of my college career. To all of the EOPS staff and student employees, thank you for all of the support.
Jennifer Lugo
My name is Jennifer Lugo and as a first-generation/Latina/ single mom/college student, I had no idea what I was doing. I remember showing up to general counseling during the summer before school started and while shaking, telling the counselor: “I signed up at Norco. now what? I don’t know where to go from here.” It was the counselor who not only told me what to do next but proceeded to walk me to SSS so I could pick up an application. If I’m being honest, I had no idea what I was applying for, but I applied anyways because I knew I was going to need all the help possible. From SSS I found out about EOPS, from EOPS I found out about CARE and from CARE I found out about CalWORKs. I was very confused at first because asking for help and joining things was way out of my comfort zone, but I did it anyways and was blessed to be accepted to all 4 programs. With time I became more involved. I joined HOPE which stands for Hispanas Organized for Political Equality, became an SSS mentor and joined the Active Minds club. Sadly, those were cut short due to Covid. Before I had enrolled myself to school my fiancé at the time had me choose between school and him. He did not want me to gain independence and wanted me to have to rely solely on him. Gladly I decided to not be scared of the unknown for once in my life and chose school which resulted in me getting left with our child. As painful and as scared as I was at the time to have to raise a daughter alone, I knew that by choosing school I was choosing a better life for my daughter and myself and that is something I will forever be proud of. #NoRegrets. I was expected to fail by the person that should have believed in me the most, but I didn’t. I pushed through, I cried, I became addicted to coffee but today I proudly stand here as proof that anything is possible. Sometimes the hardest decisions are the best ones. I am thankful for every counselor and ed advisor that had to deal with me constantly second guessing myself. You all played a huge role in getting me to where I am today, and I know I would have struggled so much to get here without you.
Fernando Salas
My name is Fernando Salas, I am a first-generation college student from Corona, California. Born in Mexico, I come from a low-income family. I lived in Mexico up until I was 8 years old. Living in Mexico, my living situation was tough not only for me but for my whole family. Nobody in my family has ever attended let alone graduated from college or even high school. It was a big step for me when I graduated from High School because I knew that I was setting a great example for my siblings and cousins, but due to my social and economic status, college was a far long achievement. But thanks to DACA, I was able to enroll in Norco college and have the opportunity to fulfill one of my dreams. Once I started Norco College, it was hard to navigate the college system because I couldn't ask anyone in my family. I was the first one to attend college and had some struggles in my first semester. Once I started to get involved at Norco college I was able to learn about clubs and programs that are designed for students to achieve their goals and succeed in their educational life. I joined Men of Color, whose main goal is to promote higher education in the Latino and African American communities. Also, joining the EOPS program, helped me succeed in my educational goals and they have helped me become a successful college student, which if it wasn't for the program, I wouldn't be here today. This upcoming month I am going to graduate from Norco College and receive my associate's degree. Also, I'll be attending Cal State Fullerton this upcoming fall. The EOPS has been very helpful and I owe all my gratitude to them. Thank you to everyone in the EOPS program.