“People thought that by living on my own in America, I could possibly turn the wrong way. I chose not to do so.”
Mario is determined to succeed. It hasn’t been easy. While still in high school, Mario’s parents were deported back to Mexico. Mario made the tough decision to return to America on his own, to pursue his education. He enrolled in the Maricopa Community Colleges ACE (Achieving a College Education) program, which eased his transition to college by earning more than 20 college credits, as a high school student. Today, Mario attends Paradise Valley Community College and is preparing to graduate and transfer to a local university. He is also working as an intern on a political campaign. Mario said, “People thought that by living on my own in America, I could possibly turn the wrong way. I chose not to do so. My ACE scholarship gave me the opportunity to attend college and get the most out of the small classes and resources that the community colleges provide. Now, I’m considering a career in communications and maybe even politics. I want to make a change and impact the community.”
Paradise Valley Community College, MCCD General Unrestricted Scholarship