I am David Rios
I am the face of Rio Hondo
I grew up in the City of La Puente and graduated from Nogales High School in 2002. Shortly after, I began working
warehouse jobs while being heavily involved in the gang life. This negative lifestyle led me to be incarcerated. I was
released in 2006, and only three months of being out, I was shot five times leaving me paralyzed from the chest down
due to a T-4 spinal cord injury. I spent the entire first year after being shot on the streets in my wheelchair, still living
the gangster life. Until I had an epiphany: that a man in a wheelchair had no place running the streets. It was then that
I decided to change my lifestyle: get off the streets and pursue a degree with the goal of transferring to a four-year
university. With this clear goal in mind, I turned my life around by opening the door to higher education and eventually
enrolling at Rio Hondo College. I will be receiving an associate degree in Social Sciences. In the fall, I will transfer to Cal
State LA.
I am Paola De La O
I am the face of Rio Hondo
I moved to the United States from Aguascalientes, Mexico
looking for a better life and future for my family. I knew that the
only way to help my family and help others with similar
challenges was by going to college. I took it upon myself to
participate in the college preparation program known as
GEARUP and I enrolled in as many workshops as possible. I
started my college journey at Rio Hondo College by taking only
a few classes during my first two years, as this was all I could
afford at the time. After the passing of the California DREAM
Act, I was able to qualify for the Board of Governors Fee Waiver
and enroll in more courses. This helped me become more
involved in student organizations such as Students Without
Borders, and to serve as the Club President for One in Christ. As
president, I coordinated trips to serve the homeless and helped
others with disadvantages. I will be receiving an associate
degree in Child Development and a certificate to become a
preschool teacher. I will be attending Cal State Dominguez Hills
this fall to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Psychology.
I am Sandra Lucero
I am the face of Rio Hondo
At the age of 47, I made one of the hardest decisions in
life, that of going back to college. Coming from an
extremely dark place in life where domestic violence
and addiction were the center of my life, drugs became
my escape. One day I found myself at my worst, feeling
defeated, unwanted and depressed. I took a long hard
look at myself, and I couldn’t help but think of my two
daughters and how disconnected I was from their lives.
It was at this moment that I decided to become the
best “Me” I could be, not only for my children, but also
for myself. I enrolled into the “Angel Step Inn Youth and
Family Services” program in Pico Rivera to recover and
become sober. With the support of my family and sober
sisters, I realized my dreams were attainable, and that
all I needed to do was pursue them. Soon after I
graduated from the Angel Step program, I enrolled at
Rio Hondo College. With the help of great counselors I
learned about financial aid, EOPS & CARE, and was
determined to earn a degree so that I could eventually
give back to my community. After my first semester, I
suffered a heart attack. Through my resiliency, I
overcame this battle too. At the age of 50, I will
graduate with an associate degree in Drug Studies with
a 3.9 GPA, and with a degree in General Studies with an
emphasis in Social Behavior and Self- Development.