LUIS DANIEL GARCIA

My name is Luis Daniel Garcia, I am a first-generation college student majoring in Business Administration. I attended Greenfield High School, but I grew up in East Salinas which is a predominantly low-income Hispanic community. To be frank, I never imagined myself going to college as I was not sure if I was going to be able to afford it or even obtain academic success. Luckily for me I had the opportunity to be a part of the Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS). The program has been a true blessing as it has helped me with assistance with books which I could not have paid for myself given that I am a low-income student and have other duties that include supporting my family as well as paying for other expenses such as gas, which I would spend a substantial amount on given that I would commute an hour to get to school. It would be difficult for me to navigate through the college system alone since I am the first in my family to do so. The academic counseling, I was offered through EOPS has helped me map out my classes in order to stay on track to transfer to a four-year institution as that is one of my goals. This scholarship would greatly benefit me since it would go towards obtaining my degree. I hope that once I obtain my degree I will be able to inspire others to follow the same path.