Webloggin » Living the American Dream

The LA Times had a pretty decent article yesterday that proves that the American Dream is still very much alive. Luz Elena Gutierrez attended a failing public high school in a low income area of Los Angeles but still managed to earn a full scholarship to attend UC Berkeley in the fall.

Luz Elena was a perfect candidate to drop out of high school and end up going nowhere in life because she had everything working against her as she grew up. But she refused to be held back by her socio-economic status or a terrible high school.

Luz Elena had a goal of graduating first in her class and did everything necessary to make that a reality. She was aggressive in demanding the most challenging classes, she chose friends who had goals similar to hers, and she stayed away from social situations that could prevent her from succeeding.

But there was another crucial aspect of Luz Elena’s success: attentive parents. Her parents consistantly encouraged her and reassured her that she could reach her goals. Beyond that, her mother worked night shifts and her father worked during the day to ensure that one of them was always available if Luz Elena needed them.

The result of all this is that Luz Elena Gutierrez will most certainly be a success. She didn’t expect anything to be given to her; she simply worked her tail off and never doubted that she would achieve her goals. There are quite a few people in this country who could learn a lot from the example set by Ms. Gutierrez.

[Discuss this article with Chad at 4thelittleguy]