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Within the final 48 hours, Jonathan Cornejo achieved what had appeared not possible.
He dedicated to UC San Diego.
The 17-year-old senior at West Adams Preparatory Excessive College had dreamed of attending the College of California campus ever since center faculty, when he first noticed brochures of the attractive grounds after which discovered about its robust science packages.
He knew little about school preparation. His mom, a single mother or father from El Salvador, didn’t know how you can assist him; she left highschool after ninth grade. However she at all times inspired him to work laborious in class and pursue his goals. So he did.
As a freshman he bombed his first Superior Placement class — Spanish — although he speaks the language. However he steadily improved his grades, incomes A’s and Bs in honors English, algebra and chemistry as a sophomore. Then incomes A’s in additional AP programs — Spanish literature, biology, U.S. historical past, authorities and politics. His 4.0 GPA, earned whereas serving as scholar physique president and yearbook editor in chief, helped him earn admission to the top-rated UC San Diego.
However because the Could 1 school dedication day approached, Jonathan was on the verge of declining the provide. He had determined to attend neighborhood school as a substitute. Though his monetary help package deal supplied $29,265 in grants — a federal Pell Grant, a Cal Grant and a $10,368 institutional grant from UC San Diego — he confronted a $4,000 shortfall in masking the necessary tuition, room and board bills.
His mom, who works from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. most days in two jobs as a low-wage restaurant cook dinner, couldn’t assist him. His personal revenue as a part-time Starbucks barista wouldn’t be sufficient. They didn’t wish to take out loans that may financially squeeze them much more. He was upset — even admitted to crying — over his incapacity to afford his dream faculty, however informed himself he would make the perfect of it.
Then, every little thing modified. The Occasions wrote about his plight, which displays the battle of hundreds of the state’s poorest college students who’re admitted to UC, however as a substitute select neighborhood faculties or California State College partially due to monetary shortfalls. The opposite public increased schooling methods are less expensive alternate options, with many top-notch instructors and wealthy academic packages, however have significantly decrease completion charges than UC.
Gives of help poured in. The highschool was deluged with calls. Occasions readers requested how they might assist.
“There’s something about that perseverance and tenacity that’s inspiring,” one reader wrote. “With respect to Jonathan, he has labored tremendously laborious in class, works at Starbucks, doesn’t have a father in his life, and his mom holds two jobs. Regardless of the setbacks he pushes on and perseveres. He’s the kind of individual you wish to root for in life. That’s what triggered me (and I’m positive many others) to donate to him, regardless of having by no means met him.”
With so many provides of help, Jonathan’s faculty counselor, Jacqueline Villatoro, helped arrange GoFundMe pages for him and his classmate, Emily Gramajo. Emily had additionally determined to attend a neighborhood school as a result of she couldn’t afford to just accept her admission provide from her dream faculty, Cal State Northridge — however dedicated to the college this week after donors stepped up.
“Jonathan is somebody who at all times needed to do his finest to reap the benefits of the sacrifices his mom made for him,” Villatoro mentioned. “However his story shouldn’t be alone. A variety of our college students at West Adams are in his state of affairs. There are such a lot of others who may use further assist.”
To date, donors have raised hundreds of {dollars} for the 2 college students. One nonprofit began by the late Episcopal Bishop Jon Bruno, Fingers in Therapeutic, has awarded Jonathan a $10,000 grant. In his interview this week with the scholarship committee, he described his ardour for science and want to assist individuals as a health care provider after a detailed relative died of most cancers some years in the past. When committee chair Mary Bruno introduced they’d award the grant — and would contemplate renewing it if he stored up his tutorial progress — Jonathan’s face broke into an enormous grin.
“I’m so grateful!” he mentioned.
UC President Michael V. Drake, requested about Jonathan and needy college students like him at a state Senate committee listening to Thursday, mentioned that UC was stepping up monetary help help and will normally discover a approach to assist shut affordability gaps.
Typically, he mentioned, it was a matter of college officers not initially making the best connections with college students to allow them to know the way they might afford to attend UC. He informed committee members that UC San Diego officers had contacted Jonathan and he was in a position to decide to the campus.
“Overwhelmingly, we will discover a solution,” Drake mentioned.
Jonathan mentioned he’s astonished that so many individuals he had by no means met have been prepared to assist him finance his school schooling. Late Tuesday, he made his choice. He went to his UC San Diego applicant portal — and accepted the admission provide.
“I felt like all of those individuals have been supporting me to go after my dream,” Jonathan mentioned. “I didn’t wish to allow them to down.”
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