I am David Rios I am the face of Rio Hondo I grew up in the City of La Puente and graduated from Nogales High School in Shortly after, I began working warehouse jobs while being heavily involved in the gang life. This negative lifestyle led me to be incarcerated. I was released in 2006, and only three months of being out, I was shot five times leaving me paralyzed from the chest down due to a T-4 spinal cord injury. I spent the entire first year after being shot on the streets in my wheelchair, still living the gangster life. Until I had an epiphany: that a man in a wheelchair had no place running the streets. It was then that I decided to change my lifestyle: get off the streets and pursue a degree with the goal of transferring to a four-year university. With this clear goal in mind, I turned my life around by opening the door to higher education and eventually enrolling at Rio Hondo College. I will be receiving an associate degree in Social Sciences. In the fall, I will transfer to Cal State LA.

I am Paola De La O I am the face of Rio Hondo I moved to the United States from Aguascalientes, Mexico looking for a better life and future for my family. I knew that the only way to help my family and help others with similar challenges was by going to college. I took it upon myself to participate in the college preparation program known as GEARUP and I enrolled in as many workshops as possible. I started my college journey at Rio Hondo College by taking only a few classes during my first two years, as this was all I could afford at the time. After the passing of the California DREAM Act, I was able to qualify for the Board of Governors Fee Waiver and enroll in more courses. This helped me become more involved in student organizations such as Students Without Borders, and to serve as the Club President for One in Christ. As president, I coordinated trips to serve the homeless and helped others with disadvantages. I will be receiving an associate degree in Child Development and a certificate to become a preschool teacher. I will be attending Cal State Dominguez Hills this fall to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Psychology.

I am Sandra Lucero I am the face of Rio Hondo At the age of 47, I made one of the hardest decisions in life, that of going back to college. Coming from an extremely dark place in life where domestic violence and addiction were the center of my life, drugs became my escape. One day I found myself at my worst, feeling defeated, unwanted and depressed. I took a long hard look at myself, and I couldn’t help but think of my two daughters and how disconnected I was from their lives. It was at this moment that I decided to become the best “Me” I could be, not only for my children, but also for myself. I enrolled into the “Angel Step Inn Youth and Family Services” program in Pico Rivera to recover and become sober. With the support of my family and sober sisters, I realized my dreams were attainable, and that all I needed to do was pursue them. Soon after I graduated from the Angel Step program, I enrolled at Rio Hondo College. With the help of great counselors I learned about financial aid, EOPS & CARE, and was determined to earn a degree so that I could eventually give back to my community. After my first semester, I suffered a heart attack. Through my resiliency, I overcame this battle too. At the age of 50, I will graduate with an associate degree in Drug Studies with a 3.9 GPA, and with a degree in General Studies with an emphasis in Social Behavior and Self- Development.