Resilience Beyond Borders
Jose’s world changed forever in 2010 when his family was deported. Jose faced an impossible choice: go back to Tijuana with his parents or stay, alone, in the U.S. to pursue his education. Determined to build a better future, he chose education. Separated from his family, he lived in San Diego, sleeping in the garage of a house of a kind neighbor. He continued to attend classes and cross-country practice each day, often on an empty stomach. At the end of each day, Jose would return to his garage and rest his exhausted body on the cold floor, using only towels as a blanket and a flattened pillow, and he would pray. He prayed quietly for one simple thing: an ordinary life…
The exhaustion and hunger were constant, but he refused to give up. Eventually, Jose landed a job as a food clerk at the San Diego Zoo. Working long weekends and week nights, he finally earned enough to afford regular meals and some stability.
Even while balancing work and school, Jose excelled. During his sophomore year, he took AP Spanish and AP World History, two of the most demanding classes offered, while still training as a competitive runner. His late nights studying paid off when he became the first student in his school’s history to earn perfect scores on both exams. His teacher of twenty years said it was the first time he had ever seen such a feat.
From there, Jose’s momentum only grew. He ranked among the top ten students in his class, maintained a 4.27 GPA, and took advanced courses like AP Psychology and AP English. As a runner, he led his team to a CIF Championship, competed at the California State Championships, and broke multiple school records, including the sophomore 3200-meter record with a time of 10:05.
For Jose, joining A Bridge for Kids represented more than financial support. It represented hope. With mentorship, guidance, and opportunity, he achieved his dreams of pursuing greater education. He now attends University of Pennsylvania where he plans to study Economics and Political Science. His goal is to build stability and generational wealth for his family—the one he has fought for since childhood.