Positive Step Forward

Manual Sanchez, a Business Administration student at SJVC’sBakersfield campus, is someone whose life is one of trials and rough patches; however he does not look at his past in a negative way. He views himself as a dedicated student who is aiming towards a successful future.

“For people who have very bad backgrounds, no matter if it’s felonies or misdemeanors, just try to overcome it, try to leave that behind, to try just keep moving forward and better yourself – and education is one way to do that.”

Sanchez knew that in order to be successful he needed to further his education. His first step was looking for the college that was perfect for him. His little brother found a SJVC brochure and after doing some research he took the next step and filled out an application. Within the next three days he was signing papers and enrolled for classes.

The first day was a blur for Sanchez but everyone he talked to greeted him kindly and made his first day a positive experience. The positive experience he gains at school keeps him motivated to keep going on even days that he feels burnt out.

In addition to the positive environment, his little brothers keep him motivated.

“I had a bad childhood – a very bad background.What motivates me is just trying to be a role model for my little brothers, my little cousins and society, so they can see that people can change.”

Sanchez was quick to say that SJVC is changing his life “not just a little but a lot”. He is not only gaining an education but also friends that encourage him along the way. Those friends are what he is going to miss the most when he graduates.

When Sanchez graduates his plan is to further his education, and get a bachelor’s and master’s degree in accounting. In the next ten years he hopes to open his own accounting firm for large businesses. He is quite sure that his love for numbers that will make his job fun.

“If you want to succeed,” say Sanchez, “just don’t be afraid to make that step into the future.Because it’s [the future’s] always going to come – no matter how life is, how sucky it is (pardon my language) it’s always going to keep on going –you just have to deal with it and not be afraid of anybody around or anything.”