Eduardo Santana had a rough childhood and a rocky education until he came to Palomar College. \u201cPalomar made it possible for me to achieve my dream of making a difference,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
SAN MARCOS \u2014 When Eduardo Santana graduated from Mission Hills High School in 2012, the odds that he would ever be a college graduate were less than ideal.<\/p>\n
He spent a harrowing childhood in San Marcos, experienced depression and anxiety as a teenager, and suffered from suicide ideation for two years.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen it came to school, I wasn\u2019t really focused. I was seeking the wrong kind of attention. In high school, I considered dropping out several times,\u201d he recalled.<\/p>\n
In his senior year at Mission Hills\u2014 decidedly late to begin turning his academic fortunes around\u2014 he realized that he had to play serious catch-up just in order to graduate on time. Then, somehow, Santana came across an academic ranking of his graduating class: \u201cI was ranked 555th out of 585 students.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t sure how to proceed, because I hadn\u2019t set myself up (for success),\u201d he said. \u201cIt was a tough transition, but I knew that life was about to get real once I left high school. I knew I had to make a choice. Palomar gave me a platform to start that process.\u201d<\/p>\n
But it was not an effortless transition: \u201cI had to make up for lost time when I got to Palomar,\u201d he said. \u201cSo my first two semesters I spent working my way up, but I wouldn\u2019t settle for anything less than 100 percent effort.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was some time during his four years at Palomar that someone first asked him the question: \u201cWhere are you going to go for grad school?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy parents have migrant backgrounds with no formal education,\u201d Santana recalled. \u201cMy father started working at the age of 6, my mother when she was 12 or 13. They came to the States for the opportunity to give their kids a better life, but they did a lot of farm labor, factory work\u2014hard physical jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Higher education was not a frequent topic around the house, he said.<\/p>\n
Starting at Palomar College, however, Santana gradually learned how to be a good student\u2014an excellent one, even: \u201cPalomar gave me the opportunity to foster these skills and start this enlightenment process\u2014I really started thinking about things differently.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2016, Santana transferred to California State University, Chico and earned his bachelor degree in criminal justice. Today, he is enrolled in the Masters of Social Work program at Texas State University, having realized that law enforcement \u201cisn\u2019t the only route I can take to make a difference in people\u2019s lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
From mass shootings to homelessness, mental health is an urgent and increasing concern across the U.S., and Santana said he is ready to do his part to make a difference in the lives of the vulnerable and at-risk. He plans to open his own practice after learning the clinical skills of the trade and finishing his state licensing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m definitely excited. It has my heart racing, when I think about it. I like to dream big, set intimidating goals,\u201d he said. \u201cPalomar made it possible for me to achieve my dream of making a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"