PEDRO CRUZ LOPEZ

My name is Pedro Cruz Lopez and I am the second of three children in my family. I was born and raised in a small ranch in Guanajuato, Mexico. I lived there with my parents Pablo Cruz, and Reyna Lopez, until we immigrated to the United States in 2013. When I first arrived in the US at the age of 13, I did not speak any English. However, through hard work and determination, I learned the English language to prepare myself for college. After graduating from Reedley College High School, I enrolled at Reedley College and had many opportunities to enhance my educational experience.

The support from RC faculty and the EOPS program staff exceeded my expectations of what college would be like. I was in the Honors program, a STEM club member and Ambassador, and participated in many Honors Symposiums. I also had the opportunity to present a research project at the 2018 Community College Undergraduate Research Institute in Arizona. My parents do not have a formal education but have always supported me in my educational pursuits. Thanks to their support, I will be transferring to UC Berkeley in fall 2020 and major in Civil Engineering.

Additionally, I am grateful to the EOPS program for providing me excellent counseling services, textbook funding, and connecting me with the many college resources that assisted me in achieving my academic goals. I also wish to thank the CCCEOPS Association for the scholarship funds I have been awarded.