\u201cPalomar made it possible for me to determine my path to a rewarding career.\u201d<\/p>\n
SAN MARCOS \u2014 From his first English class at Palomar College to his walk across the stage to receive his Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.), the path that Abelino Gregorio started following more than a decade ago on this campus has led where he never imagined.<\/p>\n
Originally from Guatemala, Gregorio started his first English as a Second Language (ESL) classes at Palomar when he was 16 and still attending San Marcos High School.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew zero English,\u201d he recalled. \u201cI knew it was going to be a challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beyond the language barrier, other challenges awaited Gregorio.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t really know how the system worked in general\u2014how to apply for universities, and how to decide where to go,\u201d he said. \u201cSo I decided to come to Palomar to figure out what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
He graduated high school in 2011, started attending Palomar full-time, and earned his Associate of Arts in 2015. Along the way, he was mentored by Palomar\u2019s faculty and equipped to navigate the halls of higher education by Palomar\u2019s Counseling Department.<\/p>\n
From here, Gregorio transferred to Woodbury University in downtown San Diego, and in May he earned his Bachelor of Architecture.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I was a kid, I was always interested in building things,\u201d he said. \u201cIn high school, I was thinking about architecture, but I didn\u2019t know how an architecture program would work. At Palomar, I started learning the things that architects do. I like the drawing, the design. There are a lot of things involved in architecture\u2014the technology, the construction industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Today, Gregorio works for a small firm while he looks for a full-time job in real estate development. He said he keeps thinking about the price of housing and how \u201ca lot of people are struggling\u201d with rising rents around Southern California\u2014an urgent concern that he hopes to play a role in alleviating.<\/p>\n
Looking back, Gregorio said he\u2019s grateful to Palomar for giving him the skills to pursue his dream: \u201cIt was a really good experience,\u201d he said. \u201cPalomar made it possible for me to determine my path to a rewarding career.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"