Voices
A College Recruiter’s Voice: Blazing a Trail to College By Carlos Gonzalez
All odds were against Carlos Gonzalez becoming a college graduate. Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, he first came to the United States at the age of six, arriving at a Del Monte labor camp near Mabton, Washington, in the middle of the night. He spoke no English. Gonzalez’s father had been coming to the United States repeatedly since the age of 17, following the migrant labor circuit from California to Washington. By the time Gonzalez was eight, his family had settled permanently in Mabton. In 1986, the Immigration Reform and Control Act allowed the entire Gonzalez family to become legal citizens.
Despite learning English and doing relatively well in school, Gonzalez was held back in the fifth grade—often an indicator that a student is at risk of dropping out in the future. And yet, he did not drop out. In fact, Gonzalez went on to do quite well in high school. He competed in wrestling, was president of the student body, and along with a few close friends, eventually applied to the University of Washington, where he would graduate with a degree in sociology. Gonzalez currently works as a recruiter in the University’s Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity, helping many students who come from backgrounds similar to his own. Here, he shares the story of how his personal desire for a better future, mixed with support from adults and a small group of friends, led him to a life far beyond what was expected.
When I started school in Mabton, my first grade year, I was totally lost. I was still used to the Mexican school system. Even the food in the cafeteria was different for me. And the language barrier was definitely a problem. There were several of us who were really quiet because we didn’t speak English. I remember there was a teacher who would put us in a corner if we spoke Spanish, so we just didn’t speak. When we went to recess we would go away from the others and play by ourselves. In a small town like that, it really brought that group of us together. Eventually our families got to know each other and we kind of started our own support system, which continued throughout our school years.
I got through high school and did well because of the support of many people—teachers, counselors, and my parents—but the most important factor was the support I had from that group of friends. We challenged each other. We were always trying to outdo each other academically and also in sports and other activities. We pushed each other to succeed.
Very early on, we were set on leaving Mabton right after we graduated. I’m the oldest child in my family, and I knew my parents needed me, but I felt that I needed to get out right away or I might never get out. I saw that a lot of people who had graduated ahead of me were just cruising around Mabton, not really doing much with their lives. Among my group of friends, we knew we didn’t want to be like that.
The first idea we had was to join the military. We talked to the Marine Corps recruiters and a few of us had made up our minds that we were going to go. But then, in high school, the counselor, Ms. Campbell, encouraged me to attend leadership conferences, especially those that were specifically for the children of migrant farm workers. I attended some of those conferences and learned a lot about being a leader at my school and preparing for what I wanted to do after I graduated. Some of the other students at the conferences had older siblings who had gone on to college, and so they were also thinking about going to college. Afterward, I started to think—maybe that’s something I could do. Before that, I had thought about it, but it just didn’t seem possible.
Eventually, I made up my mind that I wanted to go to the University of Washington, but I didn’t know how to get here. Ms. Campbell helped me a lot, but of course counselors are overextended. So, it was taking me a long time to apply. Finally, she contacted a recruiter and he stopped by Mabton and talked to me and four of my other friends, and he got us to apply within three hours. We got out of class that day and ran home to get the paperwork from our parents. He made it happen. He walked us step-by-step through the application. That’s something I do now with a lot of kids. I try to be that person who does whatever it takes to make the application happen. In many cases, students don’t have the resources to draw on to help them through the application process, especially if they don’t have parents who have gone through it.
My parents were very supportive about school, but they couldn’t help with homework and they couldn’t help me with college applications. My mom had to quit school after junior high and my dad went to work after the sixth grade. They were supportive in whatever way they could be. And it was the same for my friends. Our parents instilled in us that if you want something you have to go out of your way to get it. You can’t be shy about it. You can’t wait and hope it comes to you. You have to go after it, and a lot of times you have to blaze your own trail. Our families weren’t able to do that for us. As much as they wanted to, they just didn’t know how. And a small town like Mabton also had limited resources, so we had to get out and do it for ourselves.
We did take advantage of all the resources Mabton had to offer. I was involved in a lot of things, and it wasn’t until I took my current job that I realized how important all of that was—all the extracurricular things I did, community service, involvement in the school, helping friends and families. Now I see why I was accepted to the University of Washington, because those things matter. Grades are important, of course, but those other things also matter a lot. They help you stand out from the crowd. I didn’t know that at the time, they were just things that I felt it was the right thing to do or I was interested in. If one of my parents’ friends needed me to take them to the doctor and translate for them, I did. It wasn’t even a question. That’s how I was raised.
In my current job, I always tell students that everyone who graduates from high school has the opportunity to continue on. You can go to a four-year college, a two-year college, or a technical school—but eventually you can graduate with a postsecondary degree, and there are steps to getting to that point. There are steps to applying, steps to financing it. And you’re not alone. Every institution has people like me who will be able to help you. There is always someone who can help. That’s the biggest message: Yes, you can do it, there are ways to get there, and you’re not alone in that process.
There are a lot more students now who want to go to college. It’s getting more competitive, but there is an entry point for everyone. And there are a lot of students who need help finding that—not just Latino students, but many rural students and Native American students, and inner city students as well. There are a lot of kids who come from families where no one has ever gone to college, and so they’re pretty much on their own as far as applying and doing what it takes to pursue a higher education. Often, all they need is a little nudge and some help navigating the system.
It’s not enough to tell students they should go to college. A lot of people say "go to college,” but they don’t really sit down with students to talk about why and about what college is really about. High school counselors are usually stretched very thin. But one way or another all students need to be exposed to college—what it’s all about, what it can do for their future.
You can do that not just through college fairs or career fairs, but by getting the students to visit a university, so they can see the culture. Every university has students from all walks of life and people who are involved in outreach. When someone from their neck of the woods comes up to visit the university they’re there to give them a tour, show them around, and talk to them about the realities. I think that’s the most motivating and helpful thing you can do for a high school student, and the sooner it happens the better. Many students think that because of their background it’s not open to them—college isn’t for people like them. But that’s not true. Sometimes you have to take some steps to get there, but there is a way in for everyone. Not everybody gets the kind of support or has the network of friends that I had, but they can do it, too. I’m here to help, and so are a lot of other people. 