“If it weren’t for SOY I wouldn’t have been in college or been able to finish college. I owe my career to SOY. I went on the Northern California tour and when I stepped foot on the CAL Poly SLO campus, I fell in love with it. I knew that was where I wanted to go. SOY helped me apply and encouraged me to go, even when I was sure I could afford it. I received a large scholarship from SOY which enabled me to attend, and in my senior year, when I need a couple of extra quarters to finish my engineering degree, I was broke. I didn’t know what I would do, so I went back to SOY, the people that have helped me the most, and I asked for help. SOY gave me a loan and I was able to graduate and fulfill my dream of being an engineer.”
Juan Miguel
Juan has since paid back his loan and has been an annual donor and sponsor of SOY events. He and his wife Denise speak at career nights and mentor younger students. They have two children and come to all of SOY’s events.
Denise Mendoza Miguel is also an alum of SOY and went to Estancia High School with her husband. She is an currently an elementary teacher in Ocean View School District and in 2011 received her BA in Child Adolescent Development and her multiple subject teaching credential soon after, both at Cal State University, Fullerton.
