America Chooses PCC!
When America León first arrived at PCC, she found college life a bit overwhelming.
It was 2011. She was undocumented, her mother had been deported, and programs like DACA weren’t yet in place.
“There was so much going on with me personally, and I didn’t have a lot of guidance,” she recalls. “Other than my cousin, I was the first person in my family to receive a higher education. I didn’t know what to do, and my family didn’t really know how to help me through all the processes of getting a degree.”
Tuition, fees, books, classes, enrollment. It was all new for America, especially during such a turbulent time for her family.
Luckily, PCC was there for her.
“Attending PCC has been the best decision of my life,” she says. “I ended up taking a counseling class with one of the counselors, Miss Miranda, who recommended I join the Puente Project. I didn’t realize I had so many resources to help me succeed in my education. I didn’t know, for instance, there were resources to help me pay for my books.”
Celebrating its 30th anniversary at PCC, the Puente Project aims to increase the number of educationally underserved students who enroll in four-year colleges and universities, helping them return to the community as leaders and mentors to succeeding generations.
“From there, everything fell into place,” America says. “I was able to get the classes I needed at a faster rate, and I didn’t have to worry about money.”
America also made a lot of friends from her involvement with the Puente Project.
“I still keep in touch with them to this day,” she says. “In fact, I think that’s probably the main point of the Project, to connect all of us with each other.”
Her decision to attend PCC was based on a number of factors.
1) America loved the campus.
“Aesthetically, it’s so nice and welcoming,” she says. “I remember the first time I walked around the mirror pools. There were people sitting around studying. Some were playing frisbee on the lawn, but they weren’t being super disruptive. It just felt like a good place to be.”
2) There was palpable diversity.
“I saw people who looked like me. I know that seems strange to say, but I remember how good it felt. When you see yourself represented in those around you, you automatically feel more included.”
3) It was accessible.
“As someone who found the financial cost of a college education daunting, the affordability of PCC, combined with the quality of its classes, was a major reason I chose to enroll there. And I’m so glad I did.”
In 2015, America transferred to UCLA and graduated with her bachelor’s in communication studies two years later. It wasn’t long before she started thinking about graduate school.
“My ultimate goal is to become a liberal arts professor,” she says. “I had a few programs in mind for grad school, and I started applying in early 2020. But then, you guessed it, the world shut down.”
So began a prolonged drought in her education, which America describes as “more than frustrating.”
“The graduate program I applied to was actually removed during the pandemic.” She laughs. Shrugs. “So I decided to go back to PCC.”
It had been close to five years since America was a student. She was eager to get back in the classroom. She needed to grease the wheels, so to speak.
“I wanted to get my mojo back,” she says. “I wanted to have the responsibilities of a student again. That way, when I eventually do go for my master’s, it’s not a total shock.”
And what better place to reclaim her “mojo” than her alma mater—PCC.
“Once a Lancer, always a Lancer,” America says. “PCC was great for me before, and it’s great for me now.”
Currently, America is working on getting her associate degree in business, along with a certificate of achievement in business administration.
“I’ve always known deep down that I enjoy teaching, and I’ve personally benefited from the guidance and support of my professors and counselors along the way,” America says. “I want to be that point of support for others.”
Today, America works as the assistant manager at UCLA’s Housing Operations and Safety Department. She considers herself an education enthusiast and a community college advocate.
“I think community colleges are so important,” she says. “They can really ease the transition from high school to four-year schools. In my experience, PCC gave me all the tools I needed to be successful at UCLA.”
Along with the resources she found through programs like the Puente Project, America received a scholarship, which she describes as a saving grace.
“I was taking the bus to PCC every day, two and a half hours each way,” she says. “My budget was $10 a day. I would get my bus pass, which was $5, and then the other $5 was for food. To say money was tight would be an understatement.”
The scholarship ensured that America would be able to finance her English 1B class and the required textbooks, which was not supported by the Puente Project at the time.
“It was a summer class, and I needed it in order to graduate,” she explains. “But I didn’t have the money to finance it. So the scholarship basically paid for that class.”
While she commends PCC for its dedication to providing an affordable, quality education, America points to two individuals who had a particular impact on her success: Ivette Rosas, known affectionately as Miss Miranda, and Sara Aldas.
“They were a huge part in guiding me in the right direction,” America says. “I’m forever grateful to them for their support. They were perhaps the best thing that happened to me while I was at PCC.”
While she prepares for her future in higher education, America lives with her mother, who has since been able to return to the US. It is her hope to influence future students on the importance of understanding the history of their country, as well as getting involved in causes that matter.
“I want to teach social justice,” America says. “I want to challenge young minds and encourage them to set out and make a change. For me, my Chicano/Chicana studies, even my English and history studies, have shaped me into who I am. They’ve inspired me and I’d love for them to do the same for others.”