Iraq War Veteran Empowered to Make a Difference in His Community
A United States Army Veteran, Jorge is a non-traditional, first-generation college student who began pursuing higher education in his 30s. He is the first ever in his family to graduate from high school, serve his country in the military, travel throughout the world, and go to college. Following is a brief account from this TELACU Veterans Upward Bound Scholar about how he gained the inspiration and courage to pursue his passion for serving seniors in our community.
Today, two years after I discovered the Veterans Upward Bound Program, I can honestly say that my experience with TELACU has been a major contributing factor behind my scholastic success and personal endeavors. After serving nine years in the US Army and participating in the first forward movement of Operation Iraqi Freedom, I came home feeling displaced.
I returned, though, with a fond memory of a letter I had received from a 6th-grader in Madison, Wisconsin. In her letter, this young girl expressed how she supported us being in Iraq and how fond she was of all the humanitarian work the US Armed Forces were doing in that country. She also wrote about her aspirations to become a doctor and help all the returning soldiers who needed medical attention. It was in that letter that I found the inspiration to continue to give back to society.
As a new veteran, I knew that I wanted to return to school, but I just didn’t have the right tools to take those steps. Here at TELACU, I was able to gain the courage to look for employment and the support necessary to enroll in college. I began working for the Maravilla Foundation as a Site Manager for the Montebello Senior Center and, at the same time, enrolled as a freshman at Glendale Community College.
Now a sophomore, I plan to enroll in Cal State Dominguez Hills by Fall 2009 in order to complete my Bachelors degree in Gerontology—an important step toward my acceptance into the Masters program at USC’s Davis School Of Gerontology. With the invaluable support network and resources that TELACU provides me, I am able to follow my calling and become an effective advocate for our community’s senior citizens.
Today, two years after I discovered the Veterans Upward Bound Program, I can honestly say that my experience with TELACU has been a major contributing factor behind my scholastic success and personal endeavors. After serving nine years in the US Army and participating in the first forward movement of Operation Iraqi Freedom, I came home feeling displaced.
I returned, though, with a fond memory of a letter I had received from a 6th-grader in Madison, Wisconsin. In her letter, this young girl expressed how she supported us being in Iraq and how fond she was of all the humanitarian work the US Armed Forces were doing in that country. She also wrote about her aspirations to become a doctor and help all the returning soldiers who needed medical attention. It was in that letter that I found the inspiration to continue to give back to society.
As a new veteran, I knew that I wanted to return to school, but I just didn’t have the right tools to take those steps. Here at TELACU, I was able to gain the courage to look for employment and the support necessary to enroll in college. I began working for the Maravilla Foundation as a Site Manager for the Montebello Senior Center and, at the same time, enrolled as a freshman at Glendale Community College.
Now a sophomore, I plan to enroll in Cal State Dominguez Hills by Fall 2009 in order to complete my Bachelors degree in Gerontology—an important step toward my acceptance into the Masters program at USC’s Davis School Of Gerontology. With the invaluable support network and resources that TELACU provides me, I am able to follow my calling and become an effective advocate for our community’s senior citizens.
