by Juan Escobar, Latinos In College´s ambassador

My name is Juan Escobar, and I am a new Ambassador for Latinos In College. I am an undergraduate business student, seeking to graduate in December 2009. I have been in college about 7 years, and have been fortunate to achieve my education with the support of my family, friends and other supporters along the way.

So… right about now, I should start telling you about the great and inspiring person I am. I should start telling you about all the good things I do, all the excellent accomplishments I´ve had academically & professionally, and how much of a success I plan to be in the future… but I won´t.

See, in our society we typically associate our identities with our successes in life (especially for our careers), yet over the years, I have learned to lean towards defining myself through being a sum of my failures, because to me, my successes aren´t really an accurate representation of who I really am. 

Think of it this way… take for instance your human body. You do not need to be a doctor to know when your body feels good. When you are healthy, and you feel physically well, you are oblivious of the feeling most of the time. However, when you feel the slightest hint of pain (no matter what part of your body it may be in) you will feel it almost instantaneously all over your body. It will keep hurting until you do something to rid your body of that pain. That is the same way I see failure. To me, failure in life is a reminder of who I am. It is a reminder of what my shortcomings are and what my real potential is.

Now, failures of course shouldn´t be intentionally looked for… rather, failures should be appreciated and embraced if they occur. As it is said, failure is the first step to success, so I believe you need to encounter failure a lot of times in life in order to recognize what success is, or else how will you know? (in the business world, you will often find that the word “failure” is typically replaced with its close synonym, which is “opportunity”, in reference to “an opportunity for success”.)

So… in my life, I have failed a great many times. In many areas of my life, I have failed in small ways, and in large ways… and in hindsight, I am proud of my failures, because they have shown me who I am, what I am made of, where I see myself going, and what I am going to do with my life. They have helped me forge the path of seeking a different route towards a different definition of success for my life. This lesson has helped me understand that failure is a large part of life, and that once you know how to deal with it, it then becomes an opportunity for success that can catapult you towards achieving the greatness inside you. Through many failures, I therefore have been able to create various opportunities that I can now take advantage of as a student, as a Latino, yet most importantly as a human being.

And that… is who Juan Escobar really is.

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by Donald K. Carlisle, Ph.D., Superintendent of Schools,
Port Chester School District, Port Chester, NY

Having been a high school teacher and principal of five high schools before becoming a superintendent, I know that my students often asked me what they should be doing in high school to get into college.

If you are thinking about going to college, the most important step you can take is to get the best grades possible in high school. Colleges set a GPA (grade point average) cut-off for acceptance. Of course, they look at other qualifications, but if a student doesn’t “make the grade”, the rest won’t matter.

Another thing colleges strongly consider is students’ involvement in their school or community. When my daughters were in high school, I advised them to find a few clubs or organizations that really interest them and then become very active in them. I also encouraged them to try to play a leadership role if they could.

The last piece of advice may be unusual coming from a superintendent, but it’s a good one: get to know your teachers and let them know you as a person (not just as one of the students in their classroom). You will need teacher recommendations for your college applications and having one or two teachers who really know you and your abilities will make those recommendations stand out.

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Hello,
I would like to know get advise from you about how I can obtain a scholarship, grant or money for students who would like to obtain a Master´s degree. As you may know, a post graduate degree is very expensive.
Your response or advise would be greatly appreciated.
Frank

Hi Bob, I like the ideas you shared with Juan Pablo. I have some questions. I´m in los angeles in 12th grade and i have not done a lot of community work becasue i had to work o help my family all this years. And now i hear a lot of colleges look at that. I have the volunteer hours i need to graduate but that´s all. is therea way i can make up for my lack of community work in my resume?Thanks
Alicia

I´m a junior in a high school in Chicago and I want to know how to call the attention of my guidance counselor. My GPA is 2.95 and he only talks to students who have a 3.5 or higher. He never has time to tell me what courses i need to take, or if there are scholasrships I can apply to or antyhing like they show on this website.

Dr. Carlisle´s comments on the importance of volunteering for community efforts is right on the mark. Not only does volunteerism give Admissions officials a strong sense of your commitment, it makes you a stronger student that has a better sense of what it takes to succeed academically.

Ms. Corona, have your daughter select an organization that she cares about and have her start volunteering as soon as possible. It is never too early.

For students that have not done as well academically, do not despair because their are colleges out there that are a great fit for students that struggled in high school.

Bottom line...keep your focus, stay involved, and go to college!

I have a daughter in her junior year and I would like to know when she needs to start her community service. I ask her counselor, but I think she wants her to do it at the last minute. How many hours does she have to give to community service?

Many schools require community service in order to graduate and, yes, that's important and on the order of what I recommended. But if you can find an opportunity to play a leadership role in what you do -- take charge of a soup kitchen effort one week, or organize a clean-up drive, to give a few examples. Going the "extra mile" shows both you and the colleges you will apply to that you will make a contribution to whatever you pursue in life.

I hope that makes sense.

I want to know if involving yourself in the community is the same as being a volunteer in your shcool, because in my school you have to do like 72 hours of volunteerism to graduate high school. Is that the same sas working for the community you talk about?

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