Student Profile | Victor Villanueva

From the outside, Victor's story might not seem unusual. He is a high school senior who was accepted to the University of California Santa Barbara. He is active in school and is involved in multiple extracurricular activities. He is looking forward to the fall, and his first semester studying pre-law on a college campus.

But looking closer at Victor Villanueva, his achievement becomes extraordinary. Victor lives in a neighborhood with high poverty and crime rates, his parents didn't attend college and for most youth who have faced similar challenges, college and law school would seem impossible.

Victor became involved with HOLA when he was six years old. His older brother was enrolled in the program and his mother signed him up for classes. "To me, HOLA became a second home. They guided me through everything. When my family wasn't stable and another time when I was physically hurt, HOLA was the place I turned to for help in difficult times," said Victor.

As often as he could, Victor attended after-school classes. He became involved in the weekend and summer sports programs. Sometimes he just came to HOLA to speak with his mentor or hang out with teachers and peers. And through it all, he was gaining valuable skills and knowledge that would help him throughout life.

"I've become a better person because of HOLA. I've learned a lot about myself and gained important life lessons. I have also learned to push myself. For example, once I was on the verge of failing calculus. HOLA provided me with a private tutor and I worked hard," reflected Victor. "The outcome was great. I turned that grade around."

Through HOLA, Victor gained valuable leadership skills and began to think about his life after high school. By participating in the ROPE Program (Rights of Passage Encounter), Victor developed key life skills to help him become a healthy and responsible adult. He got involved with a youth council that brings together leaders from various community centers across the city. He was able to attend a college prep class and a special Princeton Review class to improve his college entrance exam scores. Through all of these support services, offered free through HOLA, he was able to achieve a higher level of success. With help from HOLA, Victor also visited college campuses across the country. He visited Boston College, Harvard, New York University, and many others. This experience gave him a love of travel and broadened his exposure to college possibilities across the country

"I am looking forward to college. I plan to get my bachelors and my law degree. I also want to study abroad for a while. But in the end, more than anything," Victor said, "I want to come back to HOLA to help mentor other students."

His future looks so bright. There is no doubt that he will inspire future generations of children to fight against the odds and succeed in a similar way.