Senior Jose Gallegos’ eye’s search on Common App, scavenging for the button he’s been anticipating: “Create an account.” He’s already made up his mind, but before he makes the final click, a sense of surrealness hits: he’s the first. The thought rings in his head, and then all of a sudden,

Click.

Jose has solidified his goals of becoming the first one in his family to attend college. 

With applications open since Aug. 1, the opportunity Jose has been given is starting to become a reality — one he said can be overwhelming.

“[The college process has] been a little difficult for me because I don’t have anybody to ask questions to [since] my parents didn’t go to college,” Jose said. “I’m doing it all on my own. I’m playing a little bit of catch up because I’m just now starting to realize how [college applications] work.”

Jose’s mom, Dina Gallegos, has had to make several sacrifices, Jose said, many of which have gotten him to where he is today. At 13-years-old, Dina said that she experienced a culture shock when she moved back to the U.S. after leaving California to go to Mexico. She had to pick up English at a rapid pace as she was accustomed to her first language, Spanish. 

“[Moving] was hard because I didn’t know the language,” Dina said. “I didn’t know how life was here, and [there’s] a lot of differences between here and Mexico. Not knowing [anyone] and learning English at my age — it was hard.”

Jose’s grandma wasn’t met with high paying jobs after her arrival. While Jose’s grandpa remained in Mexico, she worked three jobs to put a “roof over their family’s heads.”

“Not having papers here in the U.S., [my grandparents didn’t] get glorious jobs like sitting at a desk,” Jose said. “They [had] to work in the most extreme conditions. With those sacrifices my grandparents made to get [my family] over here, I’m really appreciative. Even though my parents did have more opportunities than [my grandparents], it wasn’t like it is for me [now].”

Jose moved several times during elementary school because his parents struggled financially due to increasing rent. This caused him to not form many close knit friends early in his life. Upon going into middle school, he said he was physically and verbally bullied — in-person and online — for the way he dressed and interacted with others. 

“I feel like the only reason I am who I am today was because of what I went through,” Jose said. “During the time when I was getting bullied, I always tried to reason with the people bullying me. I was always thinking ‘Maybe they’re going through something hard; maybe they’re dealing with something I don’t know.’ Now, I always keep in mind that you never know what someone is going through. It’s a big reason as to why I always need to be nice to people.”

Despite past challenges, Jose is ranked in the top 10% of his class, part of the National Honor Society, the president of the Hands of Hope club and one of the band’s drum majors. 

“It’s very exciting to see kids who are the first in their generation to go to college,” geometry teacher Amanda Bowers said. “In my opinion, it’s like turning things around for the better and that’s what we want as teachers — to see students grow, be successful and have improvement. [Jose] set his mind to it, so I think he’s going to be successful in college and post college.”

Through the sacrifices of his grandparents and parents, Jose persists through college applications. He said reaching his goals of getting into college, becoming a nurse and helping others won’t be easy, but the opportunity he’s been given is one he can’t waste.

“First generation means defying the odds,” Jose said. “[My mom’s experiences] have inspired me to be as strong as her, be as resilient and be strong minded while also having a strong heart. She inspires me the most.”