Running and schooling for a better future
Elizabeth Gunn
Issue date: 11/20/07 Section: Sports
Luis Medina used to walk with his grandparents to work in the fields 15 miles from their home in Mexico. Now he is one of the fastest runners on Mt. SAC's cross country team and hopes to transfer to the University of Oregon.
Medina, 20, lived with his grandparents, Aurelio and Guadalupe Contreras, and younger brother, Miguel, until he was 4 years old when his mother, Virginia Contreras, traveled back to Mexico and brought the family to the United States.
Once in the U.S, Medina had to learn most of his school subjects on his own because his mother had no formal education, he said.
"Although my mother tried to be involved in my schooling she was always busy working," Medina said. "She tried. So it was up to me to learn English, math and science. I could not ask her for help because my mother had no schooling available as a child."
Things started to look up for Medina when he reached junior high. There he became the fastest in his class to run the mile, and it was then he decided to run cross-country in high school.
Once he got to high school, it was there that he met his cross-country coach, Fernando Cabrera, who became like a father figure to him, Medina said.
"He never gave up and kept going," he said. "In high school, he was very inspirational and helped me appreciate hard work. How? He pushed my running and made me work hard for it."
But his mother and grandparents, separated by generational differences, have not supported Medina the way he would like.
"I understand they are struggling to pay the bills and to provide for my younger siblings so they rather I work and help out," Medina said. "I'm just looking long term, and with a degree I would be able to help them more."
Initially, Medina planned on going straight to the University of Oregon, but was unable to obtain a scholarship, he said. Instead he came back to Mt. SAC and to earn his associate's degree, which Medina said will give him more of a chance of getting the scholarship.
Because of the setback, Medina took a year and a half off from school, but credits his drive to go to college to Cabrera.
"This is why I am now aiming for stuff like degrees and job titles," Medina said. "I didn't have that drive in high school, but thanks to him I have it now."
Medina plans on going on to the University of Oregon, where he wants to get his bachelor's and master's degrees in general science, he said.
One day, he wants to be become a registered nurse.
Aside from education, Medina said he wants to compete at the division I level in cross-country, the level at which University of Oregon students compete. From there he wants to train to run the 1500 meters at the Olympic level.
But Medina said that none of this would have been possible without the assistance of Cabrera.
"Through my adolescent years he was like a father figure to me," Medina said. "He was very supportive and I felt he helped me stay on track in respect to my education."
Medina, 20, lived with his grandparents, Aurelio and Guadalupe Contreras, and younger brother, Miguel, until he was 4 years old when his mother, Virginia Contreras, traveled back to Mexico and brought the family to the United States.
Once in the U.S, Medina had to learn most of his school subjects on his own because his mother had no formal education, he said.
"Although my mother tried to be involved in my schooling she was always busy working," Medina said. "She tried. So it was up to me to learn English, math and science. I could not ask her for help because my mother had no schooling available as a child."
Things started to look up for Medina when he reached junior high. There he became the fastest in his class to run the mile, and it was then he decided to run cross-country in high school.
Once he got to high school, it was there that he met his cross-country coach, Fernando Cabrera, who became like a father figure to him, Medina said.
"He never gave up and kept going," he said. "In high school, he was very inspirational and helped me appreciate hard work. How? He pushed my running and made me work hard for it."
But his mother and grandparents, separated by generational differences, have not supported Medina the way he would like.
"I understand they are struggling to pay the bills and to provide for my younger siblings so they rather I work and help out," Medina said. "I'm just looking long term, and with a degree I would be able to help them more."
Initially, Medina planned on going straight to the University of Oregon, but was unable to obtain a scholarship, he said. Instead he came back to Mt. SAC and to earn his associate's degree, which Medina said will give him more of a chance of getting the scholarship.
Because of the setback, Medina took a year and a half off from school, but credits his drive to go to college to Cabrera.
"This is why I am now aiming for stuff like degrees and job titles," Medina said. "I didn't have that drive in high school, but thanks to him I have it now."
Medina plans on going on to the University of Oregon, where he wants to get his bachelor's and master's degrees in general science, he said.
One day, he wants to be become a registered nurse.
Aside from education, Medina said he wants to compete at the division I level in cross-country, the level at which University of Oregon students compete. From there he wants to train to run the 1500 meters at the Olympic level.
But Medina said that none of this would have been possible without the assistance of Cabrera.
"Through my adolescent years he was like a father figure to me," Medina said. "He was very supportive and I felt he helped me stay on track in respect to my education."
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