Before Job Corps, I was working three part-time jobs and struggling to survive in one of the most expensive cities in the country. Here’s some context: I had just graduated high school in Chicago and moved to San Francisco with the goal of getting into college. I had very little professional experience and all the money I earned went to rent and transportation (to get me from one job to the other). I was working to survive; living month-to-month while my dream of getting into college was taking a back seat.

Job Corps, milestone of a lifetime. I established California residency while completing the homeland security trade. After completing my trade, I applied to Advanced College Training (ACT). This program made it possible for me to live rent-free on the Job Corps campus while attending City College of San Francisco. Additionally, I received transportation and meal money. This all-around support allowed me to dive fully into my college experience. I joined the student organizations, held internships, applied for scholarships and completed the Omega Alive and Free Program—and yes, I had a job the entire time. At the end of my time in the ACT program, I completed two Associate’s Degrees an applied to all the Universities of California.

I received acceptance letters from all the Universities of California. I’m many “firsts” in my family. First to earn a high school diploma, first to leave Chicago, first to attend college and first to go back to my family’s country of origin, Honduras. That’s what I did after Job Corps, I went to the island of Roatan where I celebrated this theme of being first. What I love most about this idea is that I get to hold the door open for those coming in after me.

Today I attend the top public university in the country, University of California Berkeley. I’m graduating in 2017. I’m the co-founder of a non-profit tech start in San Francisco. Everyday I work on being a better iteration of myself. I’m healthy, full of gratitude and genuinely happy.