Determined to Succeed

My life was a long list of bad mistakes, attitude, and trouble.  I was involved in gangs and other activities that were getting me nowhere.  I enrolled at MJC and struggled.  I felt as if I didn’t belong, but it wasn’t until I was accepted into the EOP&S Bridge and CARE programs that I began to find my way.

I always thought I was not good enough, smart enough, or had what it takes to be successful in life or in college. Today, I have a college degree and other MJC students look up to me.  I am so thankful for MJC and all the programs that have been a part of my growth.

I’m so grateful to my teachers, my EOP&S counselors, Hector Duarte and Layla Spain, my mentor Bryan Justin Marks, and others who helped me to become who I am today.  I graduated this past semester from MJC, and I am the first college graduate in my family.  This past year I was named EOP&S and CARE Student of the Year, and I graduated with a 3.45 grade point average.  This fall I will be attending CSU Stanislaus.

MJC saved my life, changed my life, and helped me create a great life.  I will always consider this place my home!

- Letty Blanco, Class of 2015