Cerritos College News Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 16, 2008

Media Contact: Aya Abelon, Public Affairs; (562) 860-2451, ext. 2287

Photo of Ruben Gonzalez NORWALK, Calif. – September 16, 2008 –One telephone call from Cerritos College changed it all. It was January 2008 and Ruben Gonzalez, who lives in Lakewood, had no idea what he wanted to do or what he could do with his life.

After both of his parents were arrested for drug use when he was five years old, Gonzalez and his four younger siblings moved in with his grandmother who became their foster parent. Since there was no one who went to college around him, it never occurred to him that there was such an option.

Then came the phone call – it was from Yvette Tafoya, financial aid specialist, inviting Gonzalez to a financial aid workshop. Tafoya was designated as the state-wide Foster Youth Success Initiative liaison for the college and has just begun offering workshops specifically for current and former foster youth.

After the workshop, Tafoya walked him through the application process for financial aid, enrollment and class registration.

When Tafoya created The Leaders Involved in Creating Change (L.I.N.C.) program, a support program designed to help link foster youth with support services on and off campus to ensure a successful transition from foster care to independent living, with her colleague Yajayra Vejar and the office of Foster & Kinship Care Education, Gonzalez joined the program and started taking classes in summer 2008.

“The program has been very helpful and my college experience so far has been great,” said Gonzalez.

He has barely started his college life a few months ago and he is already very active on campus. He obtained an on-campus job in the Financial Aid office and is helping other students applying for FAFSA. Gonzalez and his fellow student Jacinda Travis are in the process of founding the L.I.N.C. Club, which aims to connect foster youth students and provide them with resources and networking opportunities. “I’m trying to create a place where foster youth students can get connected with each other, so we all know that we are not alone and we can support each other,” he said.

His ambition to help others goes well beyond that. He plans to major in psychology, transfer to California State University, Long Beach and become a high school counselor.

“I want to help out students, especially those who have problems and don’t have much support or guidance from their family,” said Gonzalez. There is no doubt that he is setting a great example for such students and is becoming an inspiration to them.

On the weekends, he and his girlfriend love to take his younger siblings to the movies – evidently caring comes natural for him.

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Cerritos College

Releases 2008