November 10, 2025 • 30 mins
🎙️ New Episode of First Gen 101: From Jalisco to Doctoral Dreams with Cesar Margarito
In this inspiring episode, host Miguel sits down with Cesar Margarito, a proud first-generation college graduate and advocate for educational equity. Cesar opens up about his journey from his roots as an immigrant from Jalisco, Mexico, to navigating the U.S. education system and launching Fly Socks—a creative venture that funds scholarships for first-generation students through the sale of stylish socks.
From working at Staples after graduation to discovering his passion for educational outreach and now pursuing a doctoral degree, Cesar’s story is a powerful reminder of resilience, purpose, and the importance of giving back.
Tune in as we explore themes of mentorship, community, and the first-gen experience—and learn how one student’s journey can spark change for many others.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Miguel Sanchez (00:01):
Hello everyone.
Thank you for joining today'sepisode of the First Gen 1 0 1
podcast.
Today we have Cesar.
Margarito with us.
Cesar.
Thank you for being here today.
Cesar (00:13):
A pleasure to be here.
Thank you for having me.
Miguel Sanchez (00:15):
you are a first generation graduate.
But you're also very passionateabout helping first generation
students, and so I'm lookingforward to this conversation.
And before we go into yourbackground, Tell us about Fly
Socks and how are you helpingfirst generation students that
way?
Cesar (00:32):
So fly socks is the little venture I started in
2019, right before COVID,unfortunately.
The idea behind that was toutilize the proceeds to provide
scholarships for gen first genstudents.
It was right around that time,like other.
Companies that had aphilanthropic or social
responsibility focus or emphasiswere coming up, right?
(00:55):
So I figured what if we didsomething like that?
Most people wear socks, right?
I had just moved to LA a coupleyears before that, and here,
people are a little bit moretrendy than where I came from.
And I was getting into likecolorful socks and those kinds
of things.
So I'm like, let me Look atthis.
Why not?
So that's where the ideaoriginated and why the colorful
socks and example varioussamples and things of that.
(01:16):
But more than anything it wasjust a way for me to find
another option to help studentslike myself, right?
They were first generationstudents.
Miguel Sanchez (01:25):
That is a great way to help first generation
students.
So for those of you who arelistening or watching, make sure
that you check that out.
But let's go back and tell usabout your background.
What was it like growing up as afirst generation student?
Cesar (01:40):
I think one of the identities you have to add to
that is immigrant.
So I'm originally from Jalisco,Mexico, a small, little tiny
town outside of Guadalajara.
And my parents were migrantfield workers.
So when my sibling, before I wasborn, when my siblings were
older they were doing the backand forth Cape, they were in
California for part of the year.
See, the crop would be over,then they'd go to Mexico and
(02:01):
then, back and forth.
But when I was around 10 yearsold, they decided to make the
permanent move without tellingus that, we're gonna be moving
to the States.
So at 10 years old, fifth grade,towards the end of fifth grade
that was my first experiencewith the US Education system in
a little town in centralCalifornia, Monterey County
called Cholar.
Really tiny town.
(02:22):
When I was growing up, it wasabout 500 people.
Now it's a metropolis.
It's about 1500 people.
Like New York, right?
Miguel Sanchez (02:28):
Yes so I recall just, from, we were talking
about similarities when, beforewe started the episode and I
mentioned I'm from Mexico Cityand very much we were kinda just
told that we were going to bemoving and one day I was in
Mexico City and the next day Iwas in Rockland County, which
happens to also be a small townin New York.
(02:49):
Many people wanna say.
New York thing, New York City,but I'm actually
Cesar (02:53):
Yeah.
Miguel Sanchez (02:53):
in north or up in the suburbs so you're
starting in the US educationalsystem and.
You mentioned it was a smalltown.
How was the process of gettingaccustomed to the new culture
Were you working while you weregonna school?
Because I know that tends to besome of the experiences for a
lot of students who grew up inCalifornia
Cesar (03:14):
Yeah.
Fortunately at that age I wasnot, I did have a lot of friends
that became friends who did haveto go work on the weekends or
during the summers.
It wasn't until high school,that was my first experience,
like working in the fields.
But during elementary, it wasmore the transition of.
Acclimating to a new country,new language, all those
(03:34):
different things.
But my little sister and I,she's three years younger than I
I was the default babysitter, somaybe that's why I didn't, I
think I had to work.
But yeah, so it was thattransition.
I think more than anything, itwas the language.
One of the good things aboutthat area if you're not familiar
it's a predominantly Latinocommunity.
99% of the Latinos are Mexicanfor the most part.
(03:55):
Very few African American orwhite students in, in that
community.
So in terms
Miguel Sanchez (04:00):
Making
Cesar (04:01):
that transition from an ethnic, from a racial
standpoint, it wasn't all thatdifferent.
It was just the language.
And then seeing students thatlooked like me, but some of'em
didn't speak Spanish, and thatwas a little confusing to me
'cause I had never seen, brownskin, black hair, and had hair
back then.
Boys and girls not being able tospeak Spanish, right?
So it was that transition andI'm very fortunate and grateful
(04:22):
for the students, the friendsthat I made they took me under
the wing, taught me thelanguage, taught me the customs
and took me in, as early asfifth and sixth grade, and just
snowball from there.
Miguel Sanchez (04:33):
you mentioned language being one of the
primary challenges.
So I remember when I was goingto college and I never told my
mother that I was going tocollege because she just didn't
know what to do.
Like she always wanted to helpand she was always very, she
worked very hard for my brotherand I, and, we also grew up also
in a very small town, like Imentioned, the idea of going to
(04:56):
college was very foreign to her.
And so in your family, how didthat conversation start?
Was there a point where in yourhigh school years you were like,
okay, I'm going to collegebecause of these reasons.
Was it more like your parentspush you that way?
How did that decision to go tocollege happen for you?
Cesar (05:17):
It wasn't really much of a choice, it was just known.
And that's the reason my parentsso there's four siblings in our
family.
My little sister and I are thetwo youngest, and I have an
older sister and brother.
So when we first made that move,the family was split.
So it was the younger siblingsthat came with the parents to
get a feel, get situated, all ofthose things.
And about a year or two yearslater, then my older siblings
(05:40):
came over.
And the reason we all migrated,my parents made that decision
was exactly because ofeducation.
So they knew that education wasthe only ticket outta poverty.
And when you're poor and you'rearound other poor students, you
don't know you're poor.
You have roof over your head,food on your table, nothing
fancy, simple frijoles andtortillas, kind of thing.
(06:02):
You have everything that youneed, right?
So we didn't know that.
But that was something that wasinstilled from very early age
that you're going to school.
When you're going to college.
They couldn't articulate it.
They couldn't tell you, okay,this is the path.
First, you're gonna get an aa,then a bs, or ma, all that
stuff.
But they just knew that you weregoing to school, you were gonna
college.
Miguel Sanchez (06:21):
Now
Cesar (06:21):
would just engrain me in all of us at the very young age.
So when my older siblings came,they were too old for high
school, so they actuallyenrolled in the community
college.
So they were actually thepioneers in terms of higher
education.
And because of that, like a lotof minority communities, we're
very what's the word?
(06:41):
It's escaping me right now, butbecause so and so did it that
you're gonna go do it as well,right?
So because my siblings wentdefinitely the role model.
But because we went there, itwasn't just gonna, you're gonna
go to college, you're gonna goto that college
Miguel Sanchez (06:54):
I see.
Cesar (06:54):
But but I knew that I was gonna go to community college
first, right?
That was my first entry.
And then I didn't know what Iwas gonna study, what to do or
anything like that.
I knew that's where I was going.
That thought was always there.
I was a so student.
I had the brains for it, but Iwas a little bit more
mischievous.
Once I got acclimated language,all those different things,
(07:15):
right?
I can, express myself and notalways in a positive or
constructive way.
But I got through junior high.
I got through high school,fortunately.
And because I was gonna go to acommunity college, I Ignored,
some of the outreach servicesthat our local four years
provided.
To go to a four yearinstitution.
(07:35):
I wasn't aware about theattrition rates at community
colleges.
All those things that, hearabout.
And I didn't really care at thepoint.
I'm like, my siblings wentthere, it was good enough for
them, I'm gonna go there.
But it was the idea that we'realways going to, gonna go to
school was ingrained from a veryyoung age.
It's just they couldn'tarticulate the path or how.
Go about it.
So we kinda had to learn on ourown.
Miguel Sanchez (07:58):
I was actually the first one who went a
community college.
And I am a
Cesar (08:02):
Yeah.
Miguel Sanchez (08:02):
big supporter of community colleges, especially
for people like us who, goinginto college we may not know why
we're going college.
We know that's what we should bedoing.
in your case, you go intocommunity college with a career
path in mind?
you say to yourself, oh, I wannabe a lawyer, I wanna be a
doctor.
What did that look like for you?
Cesar (08:23):
TV has always had a big influence.
And does that thing be, that'swhy from an early age, once we
moved, I dunno if you rememberthe TV series chips?
Miguel Sanchez (08:33):
of course.
Cesar (08:34):
Yes.
Yeah.
So I wanted to be a highwaypatrol, right?
So through high school, that wasmy idea like.
I'm gonna get outta high schooland then yeah, go to college.
But I wanna be a highway patrolofficer.
So that plan was therethroughout all of high school.
And even my first year atcommunity college, I think I
still had that idea.
But by that time, my oldersister had, transferred,
(08:57):
finished school.
She went to uc, Santa Cruz andshe became a teacher.
So then again, this wholeconcept of education, the
importance of it it steered mein that way.
I'm like, okay, let maybe Icould be a teacher, right?
And then once I started takingclasses at community college,
like history classes, I reallyhad really good instructors.
I'm like, Hey, this is cool.
Like maybe I can do this.
(09:18):
So then it went from highwaypatrol to history teacher.
Like a high school historyteacher.
So while I was at communitycollege, that was the plan.
And even after I transferred,that was still my idea that I
wanted to be a teacher.
So I pivoted a little bit.
But once I transferred that,that was a very different
experience.
(09:38):
Being away from home for thefirst time, being in a primarily
white community.
In my classes, I was a historymajor.
In a room of 30, there mighthave been maybe two or three
people of color.
So all of those differentthings, it, the culture shock
that I went through reallyimpacted my academics.
So I found myself going backhome pretty much every week.
(10:01):
And at that time I had agirlfriend, so it was also
because I had a girlfriend,right?
But academically I just strugglea lot.
And like I said, even though myparents emphasized education,
they didn't have the tools tohelp us navigate the process,
especially the hiddencurriculum, that we talk about.
So when they would ask me, ohhow are classes?
(10:21):
How, how are you doing?
I could just brush it off.
I, oh, I'm fine.
And nevermind.
I just got a letter saying I wason academic probation, for the
second or third time.
But as long as I told'em I wasfine, they took it at my word,
right?
Miguel Sanchez (10:36):
So this is, you hit on the nail of the purpose
of this podcast is to show thoseexamples
Cesar (10:42):
Yeah.
Miguel Sanchez (10:43):
was it like.
The choice to go to thecommunity college, did you
transfer to your four yearinstitution because sister was
doing it, or did you have moreof a conscious decision of where
you were gonna transfer?
Cesar (10:57):
I chose the institution that I went to because my
brother went there.
Miguel Sanchez (11:01):
Okay.
Cesar (11:02):
So he went to a different school Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
And then when we were getting,we, I met my community college
friends were in the applicationprocess.
I heard some of them talkingabout oh, I'm gonna go to Cal
Poly.
I'm like, oh, I'll apply theretoo.
I'll, check off the box.
So it, there was really nointentionality.
I was still just layering outthere.
(11:23):
But The name recognition mybrother went there, my friends
are going there.
Okay, let me see if I can gothere too.
So I only applied to threeuniversities all in state in
California.
Two of'em I thought I could be aon their soccer team.
I played soccer at communitycollege and that was my carrot
to stay in school and do just dodo well enough to be eligible to
play.
So that's what I thought.
(11:44):
And, the other two institutionsthat I applied to, I also got
in.
So I got into all threeinstitutions, but I chose San
Luis Obispo because of myfriends.
My brother had gone there.
I had no idea what that campuswas like.
And looking back, this is Ishared with other folks is that
even though my brother wentthere and he knew, I think he
(12:05):
knew that I was gonna go there,we never talked, we never had
that conversation for him toprepare me saying, this is the
culture shock you're gonna see.
This is how it's gonna be on dayone.
And actually the.
First day I ever stepped on thatcampus, Wasn't the day to help
him move out and go back homeonce he graduated.
So we didn't, we weren't thereat the same time.
(12:25):
But I didn't really have a planother than just, thinking about
it in that linear that, okay,I'm gonna community college,
then I'm gonna go to a four yearand then I'm gonna get a job.
And at that time I was stillthinking, I'm gonna be a
teacher, so I'm gonna be ahistory teacher, so I'm gonna
major in history.
Miguel Sanchez (12:41):
was there someone in your college that
helped you the collegeexperience?
Cesar (12:49):
It took a while.
So I consider myself a bit of aprofessional student.
I was at my community college.
I was there for three years, andthen once I transferred, it took
me another four years to get mybachelor's.
And as I mentioned earlier, whenI first transferred, I had a
girlfriend back home, so I wasgoing home every weekend.
(13:10):
So I never had the forethoughtof I need to build community
here.
'cause come Friday afternoon I'mon the road and hour back home
is an hour and a half and I needto be there'cause we got plans
Friday night and then Mondaymorning I come back to campus
and I do it all over again.
And it wasn't until we broke upunfortunately that really, that
forced me to not go homeanymore.
(13:32):
Then stay on campus, stay in thetown, try to find community
initially.
One of the guys that Itransferred with, he ended up
becoming best friends.
We were roommates together, andsome of our friends who had
went, had gone straight fromhigh school to that college were
our neighbors.
So initially that was my initialhub, of friends and then through
(13:53):
them, met other people and that,that was always safe.
Because he has somebody else tomake that introduction, make
that connection.
I think the first experience isone of the scariest ones in my
life.
I joined this student club.
I grew up very timid, very shykid, but I always wanted to
dance.
Traditional folklorico.
I thought it was so cool growingup and everything, but I just
(14:15):
didn't have the courage.
The university had a group,still has the group.
So I found out when theypractice and where, and all
those none of my other friendswere into that.
So I, that was the one of thefirst I did by myself.
And and that group was sowelcoming That really is what
changed my experience becauseall of a sudden my community
(14:35):
grew exponentially
Miguel Sanchez (14:37):
it
Cesar (14:37):
it wasn't just, the four or five friends from back home
that were my neighbors now isthese guys from all over the
state.
Different majors all thesedifferent things.
And that's really what helped mein terms of socially adjust to
the university.
The academics is a whole otherthing.
But again, I struggled throughit.
And one of the things that lateron I found out, is that.
(14:59):
And I'm sure you see this too,students oftentimes put up a
front right when they're goingthrough it.
'cause they don't want anybodyelse to know that they're not
doing well, that there'ssomething wrong, that they need
help.
And that's what I found out tillafterwards.
Like I said, my, my best friendlater on and he was in the room
right next to me.
I found out he was on academicprobation.
I'm like, dude, I've been onacademic probation.
Let me walk you through this.
(15:20):
But again, it was one of thosethings that you wanna save face,
right?
Or for whatever reason you do itthat oftentimes you don't make
yourself vulnerable enough toask for question, ask questions,
ask for help.
But it wasn't, not that Iconnected with those other folks
Miguel Sanchez (15:34):
with
Cesar (15:34):
that I really felt like I had that sense of community.
At the university to help me getthrough it and help overcome a
little bit more of thoseadjustments especially with the
culture shock.
Miguel Sanchez (15:47):
I also struggled academically in the beginning.
And for me looking back had Iasked the professor or.
Academic support services.
And I think I didn't do allthese things because I just
lacked confidence.
as you are navigating and Iwanna talk about careers because
this is a big thing, becauseit's one thing to go to college
and to go to the struggles andto go to the learning process.
(16:10):
For many first gens, bigchallenge is getting a job.
What did that process look likefor you?
Cesar (16:18):
as I got through further along in, in my, the four year,
then I didn't wanna be ateacher.
I wanted be a counselor.
'cause I felt I could make up abigger difference or a
difference in a different wayoutside of the classroom.
So that was my mentality is Iwanna be a counselor.
But when I graduated, I hadn'tdone my homework beforehand to
(16:40):
look at credential programs,like all these things to set up
and apply.
So my first job out ofgraduation with a college degree
was actually at Staples.
I worked at Staples for a couplemonths that summer while I was
trying to figure it out.
And around that time, liketowards the end of the summer I
came across this posting for.
(17:04):
Migrant Head Start, right?
And the title of it was calledFamily Service Advocates.
And the description, I'm like,helping kids, helping families
in the school system, migrant,it was like checking all these
boxes off for me, right?
Like that I identify with.
So I started that job at the endof the summer and I, I really
(17:25):
loved it.
I really enjoyed it.
About six months later in tryingto help one of those families
find information about college,I called the university and I
spoke with this woman.
She came with the informationand then she's oh, by the way in
a couple of months there's thisjob opening that's gonna happen.
It's working doing outreach,college outreach with junior
(17:47):
high and high school students inthe local area, blah, blah,
blah, blah, blah, blah.
So just think about it.
That was like light bulb wentoff.
I'm like perfect.
That's what I wanna do, so sureenough I looked for that job
posting it opened up, I appliedbut I got the job, so I started
and that was really my path.
(18:08):
to where I'm at now is gettingthat entry level position.
I'm not familiar with TRIOprograms.
This was a educational talentsearch.
It was the first grant that theuniversity had received for that
program, and I was one of twoinitial outreach advisors,
counselor, what have you.
And I loved it, going toelementary schools, middle
schools, high schools, talkabout college, talk to fairs,
(18:31):
and, yeah, it opened up thewhole world and inspired me down
the line to go back to school.
But initially, like I said,outta grad school, it was, get
all stables and while I figuredthings out,
Miguel Sanchez (18:42):
Share with us what are you doing now and how
are you helping first gen?
'cause I know you're veryinvolved in the education
system.
Cesar (18:51):
I, try and I think.
Any role that you're ineducation, you're always helping
others or the reason you getinto it is to help others,
right?
The scale is what differs.
You might do it one student at atime, one classroom at a time,
one campus at a time.
But that job, led me to theneventually get a master's.
(19:11):
And, oftentimes it's timing.
When I was wrapping up mymaster's, it was at that same
university.
A administrative position openedup that I needed a master's for.
So
Miguel Sanchez (19:22):
It was
Cesar (19:23):
was in our same department with another TRIO
program, student supportservices.
I had the background and theexperience working with the
populations.
So I got the job.
So that was my first role interms of an administrative role.
I was still hands-on withstudents but little more on the
on the backend.
So then you're looking at,policies, procedures, systems,
(19:44):
the things that you can or can'tchange, right?
Something else that, that you'relearning.
They have to learn.
But that was the first role thatkind of opened up my eyes in
terms of more than just workinghere, one-on-one.
'Cause ever since then, theroles that I've had for the most
part
Miguel Sanchez (19:59):
have
Cesar (20:00):
been working in an administrative capacity.
With various programs and thescale have of it has grown.
One of the first major programsthat I worked with was helping
create the infrastructure forthe Gates Scholarship that
launch in 2016.
It was, it's still ran by theHispanic Scholarship Fund, so I
(20:20):
was their director of Universityadvocacy.
so my role was to createpartnerships with universities
across the country.
And their support servicessystems, they map out like the
student journey and all thesedifferent things.
But that was really what openedup my experience working
nationwide.
I.
currently.
I'm working here in Californiaat the Foundation for California
(20:41):
Community Colleges.
So the organization has beenaround about 25 years.
And they're very well keptsecret'cause I didn't know who
they were until I applied.
And other people that I talkedto that, that come on board, a
lot of'em are the same thing.
I didn't know this existed untilI got here.
But.
But their role is to helpsupport the chancellor's office
at the state level, but alsowork with districts and
(21:03):
community colleges around thestate.
So the team that I'm on I helpoversee some scholarships, grant
and disaster relief aid aroundthe state.
And again, these are things thatI.
I'm probably never gonna meetany of the students that benefit
from these programs, but thefact that, I play a small part
in being able to support theselarger initiatives that's what
(21:27):
fuels my my passion and the factthat it's with community college
students, where we both comefrom makes it even better.
Miguel Sanchez (21:34):
I often hear students.
I wanna go to college, and thenimmediately after college I
wanna go straight into graduateschool or law school in our
case.
I also think there's value inmaybe getting a job a field that
seems interesting to you.
And maybe from there, figure outif that.
(21:55):
If it needs more education,maybe they can pursue a graduate
degree.
Because sometimes I just feellike students are just
accelerated, like they'rerushing to somewhere.
And what I've been seeing isthat's only leading to more
debt.
And so on that note, and fromyour perspective and your
position, what do you think arethe biggest challenges for first
(22:18):
generation students today?
Cesar (22:22):
Oh God.
How much time do we have?
Miguel Sanchez (22:23):
Ah, just
Cesar (22:26):
No.
I it's just a few.
Yeah, no I think it reallydepends where you're looking at.
If you're looking early on inthe career, or I'm sorry, in,
in, their schooling.
Sometimes it's a lack ofpreparation, right?
That they have to struggle tokinda catch up and all those
different things.
But where I'm at right now, orto better answer your question
is so right now I'm finishing upmy doctoral program.
(22:47):
I'll finish this year.
And my dissertation is lookingat the transitional experience
of first generationprofessionals.
And the reason I'm looking atthat is because when I was
working at that with the collegestudents.
What I'm starting to see andalso from my personal experience
and observations is that oncestudents enter the workforce,
they didn't like it oftentimes,right?
(23:09):
Or it's not what they thought itwas.
Whether it was the culture ofthe organizations, companies,
what have you.
So oftentimes they pivot.
I think if you look at thenumbers, depending on where
you're looking at, 30 to 40% ofcollege grads end up kind of
leaving their industry.
Miguel Sanchez (23:25):
So
Cesar (23:26):
that's what's interesting to me now and what I'm hoping to
study and find out a little bitmore.
Or what I find out through thestudy that can hopefully help
inform the four year setting andmaybe high school as well, so
that students are understandingmore about the workplace before
(23:48):
they get there so they canmentally, prepare and how to.
Acclimate and navigate thatprocess, and obviously not every
student, goes through that.
But I think again, thepercentage that I cited can
vary.
But that's what ends uphappening, right?
Is you like me, my, I had abachelor's degree, I was working
at Staples'cause I don't knowwhat else I was gonna do.
(24:09):
But oftentimes, even if it's thedream job or because we were
good at science, someone told usto be an engineer, right?
But then you get there, you knowwhat I don't wanna be in, in a
cubicle for eight hours a day.
I wanna be out, with people.
I had a lot of stories like thatas students.
So I think the earlier we canhave those conversations, get
students exposed, they startthinking beyond just the
(24:31):
subjects.
I might be good at history, Imight be good at math.
It doesn't necessarily mean youhave to be X, right?
Because even if you get to thatpoint, you might find out that,
you know what, it's not reallywhat I thought it was gonna be.
So I think the more we canexpose students earlier on and
certainly at the four year,that, that likelihood of them
(24:51):
succeeding and persevering intheir field, especially with all
the challenges and struggles,that students go through, will
definitely pay off.
Because like you said, you takeon this whole debt and you got
this big old shiny plaque onyour wall.
But if you're working at a jobthat's not connected related,
and certainly the pay is notthere, when are you gonna be
able to pay off, those loans.
(25:13):
So that's kinda what'sinteresting to me now.
And I have nieces and nephewsnow, actually one of'em, she's
just started San Obispo we'vehad conversations about grad
school, and working and in somefields it's definitely needed,
in education.
You definitely, for the mostpart, need at least a master's
degree, if not more.
And some technical fields, maybenot, right?
(25:35):
And some definitely,certifications and you're
golden, so it can vary by, byfield.
But I think the more we startthinking about how you're gonna
be able to apply what you'relearning, the type of
environment you're going intoand talk to as many people as
possible I think that's probablythe biggest win we could have
for students.
Miguel Sanchez (25:53):
speaking to people as a way to understand,
one of the topics that we liketo cover here is mentorships.
How was, how would you describea mentor?
do you ask someone to be amentor?
Has somebody come up to you andsay, Hey, would you be my
mentor?
Or have you ever gone to someoneand say, Hey, I'm gonna be I'm
gonna be your mentor, or can yoube my mentee?
(26:13):
Like, how does that work?
How do you even start thatrelationship?
Cesar (26:17):
I, it hasn't happened to me, but I have seen people give
the same advice.
But it, it always feels awkwardto me.
'cause again I'm, by nature, I'ma very timid person.
So I think for me, I.
It's more of identifying folksand trying to build a
relationship without necessarilymaking that ask.
I, I'm sure if you make thatask, it'll probably be a lot
(26:39):
more beneficial.
But I think I'm pretty goodabout.
The types of questions that Iwonder from them that I wanna
know more of.
And the reason why.
So I think having that, one,what is a mentor, right?
It's that guide that can helpyou avoid pitfalls along the
way, right?
If you wanna define it in thatway and in terms of obtaining,
it sometimes it feels kinda likevery formal that you have to
(27:02):
make that ask, right?
But I don't think you do.
'cause you might have somepeople that you might only
interact with them, a coupletimes a year or every other
year, a text or a phone call orsomething, right?
But they're always there andthere are other people you might
see more on a regular basis thatyou might go to them more
frequently for other types ofadvice.
So I think you can havedifferent types of mentors for
(27:25):
different things withoutnecessarily having to formally.
Identify and say, Hey, you'regonna be my mentor, I'm gonna be
your mentee, or can I be yourmentee?
I think that's another way ofgoing about it as well.
Miguel Sanchez (27:37):
as we come to an end.
What would you say is yourbiggest achievement as a first
generation graduate?
Cesar (27:44):
I think the answer is in the question, being a graduate
if you look at statistics.
Especially for men of color,numbers go down, with every
educational sector.
So the fact that, like I said, Iwas very mischievous when I was
younger.
Not in a bad way, Dennis themenace sort of thing, So the
fact that I got through, all theway, and just the other day I
(28:05):
was looking at stats forindividuals with doctoral
degrees.
Like in the US about 3% of thepopulation have the doctoral
degree.
When you look at Latinos,especially Latino men, it's
0.1%.
So the fact that I'm like,actually I have my proposal
defense later in, in October.
(28:25):
So like I can almost see thelight at the end of the tunnel.
So I think that'll be one of mybiggest achievements.
Miguel Sanchez (28:31):
I didn't know how low and I'm shocked, I'm
also not surprised.
it's important to, to show thesenumbers and maybe there's a way
we can do that better, maybe tothis podcast or to other mediums
because numbers tell a story andsometimes we say, oh, there
aren't a lot.
But when you say a percentage,that's less than one.
(28:51):
It's really eye-opening.
Cesar (28:53):
And I think, yeah, and I think it's also in, in how we
change the narrative, right?
Oftentimes when we list someoneas a statistic with a negative
connotation, right?
But depending on the statisticthat you're trying to.
To site.
It could be a good thing.
So I think that's also how wecan start changing the narrow a
little bit, is the types ofstatistics we use when we use
(29:14):
them.
Yeah.
Miguel Sanchez (29:16):
great.
So is there anything else thatyou would like to add?
Is there anything that you want.
Are listeners to hear eitheradvice from your experience,
anything that you feel be said.
Cesar (29:29):
For one, thank you for having this platform to amplify
the voices.
As I said earlier I think themore.
Miguel Sanchez (29:35):
Stories
Cesar (29:36):
we get out there, especially people that come from
backgrounds that we came frommight look like us.
Hopefully some with more hairthan I do.
But I think seeing thoseexamples that they can do it
too.
So that's one.
And then two I guess two moreother things.
One is it's never too late tostart and make that change be
another, and along with that isasking for help because I think,
(30:00):
you mentioned it earlier aswell, that, had you asked for
help at certain stages, thingswould've been a little bit
different.
I think as oftentimes we don'tallow ourselves because of
whatever pride or anything elsethat say, I gotta get through
this on my own.
But no, if there's kinda supportthat you can look at, get it.
Miguel Sanchez (30:20):
thank you very much for being with us today.
I appreciate you, your adviceand your the information, and
I'm sure there will be many ofus who are gonna listen to this
episode, Elise, more than once.
Thank you for being here today.
Cesar (30:32):
Thank you, Miguel.
Hello everyone.
Thank you for joining today'sepisode of the First Gen 1 0 1
podcast.
Today we have Cesar.
Margarito with us.
Cesar.
Thank you for being here today.
Cesar (00:13):
A pleasure to be here.
Thank you for having me.
Miguel Sanchez (00:15):
you are a first generation graduate.
But you're also very passionateabout helping first generation
students, and so I'm lookingforward to this conversation.
And before we go into yourbackground, Tell us about Fly
Socks and how are you helpingfirst generation students that
way?
Cesar (00:32):
So fly socks is the little venture I started in
2019, right before COVID,unfortunately.
The idea behind that was toutilize the proceeds to provide
scholarships for gen first genstudents.
It was right around that time,like other.
Companies that had aphilanthropic or social
responsibility focus or emphasiswere coming up, right?
(00:55):
So I figured what if we didsomething like that?
Most people wear socks, right?
I had just moved to LA a coupleyears before that, and here,
people are a little bit moretrendy than where I came from.
And I was getting into likecolorful socks and those kinds
of things.
So I'm like, let me Look atthis.
Why not?
So that's where the ideaoriginated and why the colorful
socks and example varioussamples and things of that.
(01:16):
But more than anything it wasjust a way for me to find
another option to help studentslike myself, right?
They were first generationstudents.
Miguel Sanchez (01:25):
That is a great way to help first generation
students.
So for those of you who arelistening or watching, make sure
that you check that out.
But let's go back and tell usabout your background.
What was it like growing up as afirst generation student?
Cesar (01:40):
I think one of the identities you have to add to
that is immigrant.
So I'm originally from Jalisco,Mexico, a small, little tiny
town outside of Guadalajara.
And my parents were migrantfield workers.
So when my sibling, before I wasborn, when my siblings were
older they were doing the backand forth Cape, they were in
California for part of the year.
See, the crop would be over,then they'd go to Mexico and
(02:01):
then, back and forth.
But when I was around 10 yearsold, they decided to make the
permanent move without tellingus that, we're gonna be moving
to the States.
So at 10 years old, fifth grade,towards the end of fifth grade
that was my first experiencewith the US Education system in
a little town in centralCalifornia, Monterey County
called Cholar.
Really tiny town.
(02:22):
When I was growing up, it wasabout 500 people.
Now it's a metropolis.
It's about 1500 people.
Like New York, right?
Miguel Sanchez (02:28):
Yes so I recall just, from, we were talking
about similarities when, beforewe started the episode and I
mentioned I'm from Mexico Cityand very much we were kinda just
told that we were going to bemoving and one day I was in
Mexico City and the next day Iwas in Rockland County, which
happens to also be a small townin New York.
(02:49):
Many people wanna say.
New York thing, New York City,but I'm actually
Cesar (02:53):
Yeah.
Miguel Sanchez (02:53):
in north or up in the suburbs so you're
starting in the US educationalsystem and.
You mentioned it was a smalltown.
How was the process of gettingaccustomed to the new culture
Were you working while you weregonna school?
Because I know that tends to besome of the experiences for a
lot of students who grew up inCalifornia
Cesar (03:14):
Yeah.
Fortunately at that age I wasnot, I did have a lot of friends
that became friends who did haveto go work on the weekends or
during the summers.
It wasn't until high school,that was my first experience,
like working in the fields.
But during elementary, it wasmore the transition of.
Acclimating to a new country,new language, all those
(03:34):
different things.
But my little sister and I,she's three years younger than I
I was the default babysitter, somaybe that's why I didn't, I
think I had to work.
But yeah, so it was thattransition.
I think more than anything, itwas the language.
One of the good things aboutthat area if you're not familiar
it's a predominantly Latinocommunity.
99% of the Latinos are Mexicanfor the most part.
(03:55):
Very few African American orwhite students in, in that
community.
So in terms
Miguel Sanchez (04:00):
Making
Cesar (04:01):
that transition from an ethnic, from a racial
standpoint, it wasn't all thatdifferent.
It was just the language.
And then seeing students thatlooked like me, but some of'em
didn't speak Spanish, and thatwas a little confusing to me
'cause I had never seen, brownskin, black hair, and had hair
back then.
Boys and girls not being able tospeak Spanish, right?
So it was that transition andI'm very fortunate and grateful
(04:22):
for the students, the friendsthat I made they took me under
the wing, taught me thelanguage, taught me the customs
and took me in, as early asfifth and sixth grade, and just
snowball from there.
Miguel Sanchez (04:33):
you mentioned language being one of the
primary challenges.
So I remember when I was goingto college and I never told my
mother that I was going tocollege because she just didn't
know what to do.
Like she always wanted to helpand she was always very, she
worked very hard for my brotherand I, and, we also grew up also
in a very small town, like Imentioned, the idea of going to
(04:56):
college was very foreign to her.
And so in your family, how didthat conversation start?
Was there a point where in yourhigh school years you were like,
okay, I'm going to collegebecause of these reasons.
Was it more like your parentspush you that way?
How did that decision to go tocollege happen for you?
Cesar (05:17):
It wasn't really much of a choice, it was just known.
And that's the reason my parentsso there's four siblings in our
family.
My little sister and I are thetwo youngest, and I have an
older sister and brother.
So when we first made that move,the family was split.
So it was the younger siblingsthat came with the parents to
get a feel, get situated, all ofthose things.
And about a year or two yearslater, then my older siblings
(05:40):
came over.
And the reason we all migrated,my parents made that decision
was exactly because ofeducation.
So they knew that education wasthe only ticket outta poverty.
And when you're poor and you'rearound other poor students, you
don't know you're poor.
You have roof over your head,food on your table, nothing
fancy, simple frijoles andtortillas, kind of thing.
(06:02):
You have everything that youneed, right?
So we didn't know that.
But that was something that wasinstilled from very early age
that you're going to school.
When you're going to college.
They couldn't articulate it.
They couldn't tell you, okay,this is the path.
First, you're gonna get an aa,then a bs, or ma, all that
stuff.
But they just knew that you weregoing to school, you were gonna
college.
Miguel Sanchez (06:21):
Now
Cesar (06:21):
would just engrain me in all of us at the very young age.
So when my older siblings came,they were too old for high
school, so they actuallyenrolled in the community
college.
So they were actually thepioneers in terms of higher
education.
And because of that, like a lotof minority communities, we're
very what's the word?
(06:41):
It's escaping me right now, butbecause so and so did it that
you're gonna go do it as well,right?
So because my siblings wentdefinitely the role model.
But because we went there, itwasn't just gonna, you're gonna
go to college, you're gonna goto that college
Miguel Sanchez (06:54):
I see.
Cesar (06:54):
But but I knew that I was gonna go to community college
first, right?
That was my first entry.
And then I didn't know what Iwas gonna study, what to do or
anything like that.
I knew that's where I was going.
That thought was always there.
I was a so student.
I had the brains for it, but Iwas a little bit more
mischievous.
Once I got acclimated language,all those different things,
(07:15):
right?
I can, express myself and notalways in a positive or
constructive way.
But I got through junior high.
I got through high school,fortunately.
And because I was gonna go to acommunity college, I Ignored,
some of the outreach servicesthat our local four years
provided.
To go to a four yearinstitution.
(07:35):
I wasn't aware about theattrition rates at community
colleges.
All those things that, hearabout.
And I didn't really care at thepoint.
I'm like, my siblings wentthere, it was good enough for
them, I'm gonna go there.
But it was the idea that we'realways going to, gonna go to
school was ingrained from a veryyoung age.
It's just they couldn'tarticulate the path or how.
Go about it.
So we kinda had to learn on ourown.
Miguel Sanchez (07:58):
I was actually the first one who went a
community college.
And I am a
Cesar (08:02):
Yeah.
Miguel Sanchez (08:02):
big supporter of community colleges, especially
for people like us who, goinginto college we may not know why
we're going college.
We know that's what we should bedoing.
in your case, you go intocommunity college with a career
path in mind?
you say to yourself, oh, I wannabe a lawyer, I wanna be a
doctor.
What did that look like for you?
Cesar (08:23):
TV has always had a big influence.
And does that thing be, that'swhy from an early age, once we
moved, I dunno if you rememberthe TV series chips?
Miguel Sanchez (08:33):
of course.
Cesar (08:34):
Yes.
Yeah.
So I wanted to be a highwaypatrol, right?
So through high school, that wasmy idea like.
I'm gonna get outta high schooland then yeah, go to college.
But I wanna be a highway patrolofficer.
So that plan was therethroughout all of high school.
And even my first year atcommunity college, I think I
still had that idea.
But by that time, my oldersister had, transferred,
(08:57):
finished school.
She went to uc, Santa Cruz andshe became a teacher.
So then again, this wholeconcept of education, the
importance of it it steered mein that way.
I'm like, okay, let maybe Icould be a teacher, right?
And then once I started takingclasses at community college,
like history classes, I reallyhad really good instructors.
I'm like, Hey, this is cool.
Like maybe I can do this.
(09:18):
So then it went from highwaypatrol to history teacher.
Like a high school historyteacher.
So while I was at communitycollege, that was the plan.
And even after I transferred,that was still my idea that I
wanted to be a teacher.
So I pivoted a little bit.
But once I transferred that,that was a very different
experience.
(09:38):
Being away from home for thefirst time, being in a primarily
white community.
In my classes, I was a historymajor.
In a room of 30, there mighthave been maybe two or three
people of color.
So all of those differentthings, it, the culture shock
that I went through reallyimpacted my academics.
So I found myself going backhome pretty much every week.
(10:01):
And at that time I had agirlfriend, so it was also
because I had a girlfriend,right?
But academically I just strugglea lot.
And like I said, even though myparents emphasized education,
they didn't have the tools tohelp us navigate the process,
especially the hiddencurriculum, that we talk about.
So when they would ask me, ohhow are classes?
(10:21):
How, how are you doing?
I could just brush it off.
I, oh, I'm fine.
And nevermind.
I just got a letter saying I wason academic probation, for the
second or third time.
But as long as I told'em I wasfine, they took it at my word,
right?
Miguel Sanchez (10:36):
So this is, you hit on the nail of the purpose
of this podcast is to show thoseexamples
Cesar (10:42):
Yeah.
Miguel Sanchez (10:43):
was it like.
The choice to go to thecommunity college, did you
transfer to your four yearinstitution because sister was
doing it, or did you have moreof a conscious decision of where
you were gonna transfer?
Cesar (10:57):
I chose the institution that I went to because my
brother went there.
Miguel Sanchez (11:01):
Okay.
Cesar (11:02):
So he went to a different school Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
And then when we were getting,we, I met my community college
friends were in the applicationprocess.
I heard some of them talkingabout oh, I'm gonna go to Cal
Poly.
I'm like, oh, I'll apply theretoo.
I'll, check off the box.
So it, there was really nointentionality.
I was still just layering outthere.
(11:23):
But The name recognition mybrother went there, my friends
are going there.
Okay, let me see if I can gothere too.
So I only applied to threeuniversities all in state in
California.
Two of'em I thought I could be aon their soccer team.
I played soccer at communitycollege and that was my carrot
to stay in school and do just dodo well enough to be eligible to
play.
So that's what I thought.
(11:44):
And, the other two institutionsthat I applied to, I also got
in.
So I got into all threeinstitutions, but I chose San
Luis Obispo because of myfriends.
My brother had gone there.
I had no idea what that campuswas like.
And looking back, this is Ishared with other folks is that
even though my brother wentthere and he knew, I think he
(12:05):
knew that I was gonna go there,we never talked, we never had
that conversation for him toprepare me saying, this is the
culture shock you're gonna see.
This is how it's gonna be on dayone.
And actually the.
First day I ever stepped on thatcampus, Wasn't the day to help
him move out and go back homeonce he graduated.
So we didn't, we weren't thereat the same time.
(12:25):
But I didn't really have a planother than just, thinking about
it in that linear that, okay,I'm gonna community college,
then I'm gonna go to a four yearand then I'm gonna get a job.
And at that time I was stillthinking, I'm gonna be a
teacher, so I'm gonna be ahistory teacher, so I'm gonna
major in history.
Miguel Sanchez (12:41):
was there someone in your college that
helped you the collegeexperience?
Cesar (12:49):
It took a while.
So I consider myself a bit of aprofessional student.
I was at my community college.
I was there for three years, andthen once I transferred, it took
me another four years to get mybachelor's.
And as I mentioned earlier, whenI first transferred, I had a
girlfriend back home, so I wasgoing home every weekend.
(13:10):
So I never had the forethoughtof I need to build community
here.
'cause come Friday afternoon I'mon the road and hour back home
is an hour and a half and I needto be there'cause we got plans
Friday night and then Mondaymorning I come back to campus
and I do it all over again.
And it wasn't until we broke upunfortunately that really, that
forced me to not go homeanymore.
(13:32):
Then stay on campus, stay in thetown, try to find community
initially.
One of the guys that Itransferred with, he ended up
becoming best friends.
We were roommates together, andsome of our friends who had
went, had gone straight fromhigh school to that college were
our neighbors.
So initially that was my initialhub, of friends and then through
(13:53):
them, met other people and that,that was always safe.
Because he has somebody else tomake that introduction, make
that connection.
I think the first experience isone of the scariest ones in my
life.
I joined this student club.
I grew up very timid, very shykid, but I always wanted to
dance.
Traditional folklorico.
I thought it was so cool growingup and everything, but I just
(14:15):
didn't have the courage.
The university had a group,still has the group.
So I found out when theypractice and where, and all
those none of my other friendswere into that.
So I, that was the one of thefirst I did by myself.
And and that group was sowelcoming That really is what
changed my experience becauseall of a sudden my community
(14:35):
grew exponentially
Miguel Sanchez (14:37):
it
Cesar (14:37):
it wasn't just, the four or five friends from back home
that were my neighbors now isthese guys from all over the
state.
Different majors all thesedifferent things.
And that's really what helped mein terms of socially adjust to
the university.
The academics is a whole otherthing.
But again, I struggled throughit.
And one of the things that lateron I found out, is that.
(14:59):
And I'm sure you see this too,students oftentimes put up a
front right when they're goingthrough it.
'cause they don't want anybodyelse to know that they're not
doing well, that there'ssomething wrong, that they need
help.
And that's what I found out tillafterwards.
Like I said, my, my best friendlater on and he was in the room
right next to me.
I found out he was on academicprobation.
I'm like, dude, I've been onacademic probation.
Let me walk you through this.
(15:20):
But again, it was one of thosethings that you wanna save face,
right?
Or for whatever reason you do itthat oftentimes you don't make
yourself vulnerable enough toask for question, ask questions,
ask for help.
But it wasn't, not that Iconnected with those other folks
Miguel Sanchez (15:34):
with
Cesar (15:34):
that I really felt like I had that sense of community.
At the university to help me getthrough it and help overcome a
little bit more of thoseadjustments especially with the
culture shock.
Miguel Sanchez (15:47):
I also struggled academically in the beginning.
And for me looking back had Iasked the professor or.
Academic support services.
And I think I didn't do allthese things because I just
lacked confidence.
as you are navigating and Iwanna talk about careers because
this is a big thing, becauseit's one thing to go to college
and to go to the struggles andto go to the learning process.
(16:10):
For many first gens, bigchallenge is getting a job.
What did that process look likefor you?
Cesar (16:18):
as I got through further along in, in my, the four year,
then I didn't wanna be ateacher.
I wanted be a counselor.
'cause I felt I could make up abigger difference or a
difference in a different wayoutside of the classroom.
So that was my mentality is Iwanna be a counselor.
But when I graduated, I hadn'tdone my homework beforehand to
(16:40):
look at credential programs,like all these things to set up
and apply.
So my first job out ofgraduation with a college degree
was actually at Staples.
I worked at Staples for a couplemonths that summer while I was
trying to figure it out.
And around that time, liketowards the end of the summer I
came across this posting for.
(17:04):
Migrant Head Start, right?
And the title of it was calledFamily Service Advocates.
And the description, I'm like,helping kids, helping families
in the school system, migrant,it was like checking all these
boxes off for me, right?
Like that I identify with.
So I started that job at the endof the summer and I, I really
(17:25):
loved it.
I really enjoyed it.
About six months later in tryingto help one of those families
find information about college,I called the university and I
spoke with this woman.
She came with the informationand then she's oh, by the way in
a couple of months there's thisjob opening that's gonna happen.
It's working doing outreach,college outreach with junior
(17:47):
high and high school students inthe local area, blah, blah,
blah, blah, blah, blah.
So just think about it.
That was like light bulb wentoff.
I'm like perfect.
That's what I wanna do, so sureenough I looked for that job
posting it opened up, I appliedbut I got the job, so I started
and that was really my path.
(18:08):
to where I'm at now is gettingthat entry level position.
I'm not familiar with TRIOprograms.
This was a educational talentsearch.
It was the first grant that theuniversity had received for that
program, and I was one of twoinitial outreach advisors,
counselor, what have you.
And I loved it, going toelementary schools, middle
schools, high schools, talkabout college, talk to fairs,
(18:31):
and, yeah, it opened up thewhole world and inspired me down
the line to go back to school.
But initially, like I said,outta grad school, it was, get
all stables and while I figuredthings out,
Miguel Sanchez (18:42):
Share with us what are you doing now and how
are you helping first gen?
'cause I know you're veryinvolved in the education
system.
Cesar (18:51):
I, try and I think.
Any role that you're ineducation, you're always helping
others or the reason you getinto it is to help others,
right?
The scale is what differs.
You might do it one student at atime, one classroom at a time,
one campus at a time.
But that job, led me to theneventually get a master's.
(19:11):
And, oftentimes it's timing.
When I was wrapping up mymaster's, it was at that same
university.
A administrative position openedup that I needed a master's for.
So
Miguel Sanchez (19:22):
It was
Cesar (19:23):
was in our same department with another TRIO
program, student supportservices.
I had the background and theexperience working with the
populations.
So I got the job.
So that was my first role interms of an administrative role.
I was still hands-on withstudents but little more on the
on the backend.
So then you're looking at,policies, procedures, systems,
(19:44):
the things that you can or can'tchange, right?
Something else that, that you'relearning.
They have to learn.
But that was the first role thatkind of opened up my eyes in
terms of more than just workinghere, one-on-one.
'Cause ever since then, theroles that I've had for the most
part
Miguel Sanchez (19:59):
have
Cesar (20:00):
been working in an administrative capacity.
With various programs and thescale have of it has grown.
One of the first major programsthat I worked with was helping
create the infrastructure forthe Gates Scholarship that
launch in 2016.
It was, it's still ran by theHispanic Scholarship Fund, so I
(20:20):
was their director of Universityadvocacy.
so my role was to createpartnerships with universities
across the country.
And their support servicessystems, they map out like the
student journey and all thesedifferent things.
But that was really what openedup my experience working
nationwide.
I.
currently.
I'm working here in Californiaat the Foundation for California
(20:41):
Community Colleges.
So the organization has beenaround about 25 years.
And they're very well keptsecret'cause I didn't know who
they were until I applied.
And other people that I talkedto that, that come on board, a
lot of'em are the same thing.
I didn't know this existed untilI got here.
But.
But their role is to helpsupport the chancellor's office
at the state level, but alsowork with districts and
(21:03):
community colleges around thestate.
So the team that I'm on I helpoversee some scholarships, grant
and disaster relief aid aroundthe state.
And again, these are things thatI.
I'm probably never gonna meetany of the students that benefit
from these programs, but thefact that, I play a small part
in being able to support theselarger initiatives that's what
(21:27):
fuels my my passion and the factthat it's with community college
students, where we both comefrom makes it even better.
Miguel Sanchez (21:34):
I often hear students.
I wanna go to college, and thenimmediately after college I
wanna go straight into graduateschool or law school in our
case.
I also think there's value inmaybe getting a job a field that
seems interesting to you.
And maybe from there, figure outif that.
(21:55):
If it needs more education,maybe they can pursue a graduate
degree.
Because sometimes I just feellike students are just
accelerated, like they'rerushing to somewhere.
And what I've been seeing isthat's only leading to more
debt.
And so on that note, and fromyour perspective and your
position, what do you think arethe biggest challenges for first
(22:18):
generation students today?
Cesar (22:22):
Oh God.
How much time do we have?
Miguel Sanchez (22:23):
Ah, just
Cesar (22:26):
No.
I it's just a few.
Yeah, no I think it reallydepends where you're looking at.
If you're looking early on inthe career, or I'm sorry, in,
in, their schooling.
Sometimes it's a lack ofpreparation, right?
That they have to struggle tokinda catch up and all those
different things.
But where I'm at right now, orto better answer your question
is so right now I'm finishing upmy doctoral program.
(22:47):
I'll finish this year.
And my dissertation is lookingat the transitional experience
of first generationprofessionals.
And the reason I'm looking atthat is because when I was
working at that with the collegestudents.
What I'm starting to see andalso from my personal experience
and observations is that oncestudents enter the workforce,
they didn't like it oftentimes,right?
(23:09):
Or it's not what they thought itwas.
Whether it was the culture ofthe organizations, companies,
what have you.
So oftentimes they pivot.
I think if you look at thenumbers, depending on where
you're looking at, 30 to 40% ofcollege grads end up kind of
leaving their industry.
Miguel Sanchez (23:25):
So
Cesar (23:26):
that's what's interesting to me now and what I'm hoping to
study and find out a little bitmore.
Or what I find out through thestudy that can hopefully help
inform the four year setting andmaybe high school as well, so
that students are understandingmore about the workplace before
(23:48):
they get there so they canmentally, prepare and how to.
Acclimate and navigate thatprocess, and obviously not every
student, goes through that.
But I think again, thepercentage that I cited can
vary.
But that's what ends uphappening, right?
Is you like me, my, I had abachelor's degree, I was working
at Staples'cause I don't knowwhat else I was gonna do.
(24:09):
But oftentimes, even if it's thedream job or because we were
good at science, someone told usto be an engineer, right?
But then you get there, you knowwhat I don't wanna be in, in a
cubicle for eight hours a day.
I wanna be out, with people.
I had a lot of stories like thatas students.
So I think the earlier we canhave those conversations, get
students exposed, they startthinking beyond just the
(24:31):
subjects.
I might be good at history, Imight be good at math.
It doesn't necessarily mean youhave to be X, right?
Because even if you get to thatpoint, you might find out that,
you know what, it's not reallywhat I thought it was gonna be.
So I think the more we canexpose students earlier on and
certainly at the four year,that, that likelihood of them
(24:51):
succeeding and persevering intheir field, especially with all
the challenges and struggles,that students go through, will
definitely pay off.
Because like you said, you takeon this whole debt and you got
this big old shiny plaque onyour wall.
But if you're working at a jobthat's not connected related,
and certainly the pay is notthere, when are you gonna be
able to pay off, those loans.
(25:13):
So that's kinda what'sinteresting to me now.
And I have nieces and nephewsnow, actually one of'em, she's
just started San Obispo we'vehad conversations about grad
school, and working and in somefields it's definitely needed,
in education.
You definitely, for the mostpart, need at least a master's
degree, if not more.
And some technical fields, maybenot, right?
(25:35):
And some definitely,certifications and you're
golden, so it can vary by, byfield.
But I think the more we startthinking about how you're gonna
be able to apply what you'relearning, the type of
environment you're going intoand talk to as many people as
possible I think that's probablythe biggest win we could have
for students.
Miguel Sanchez (25:53):
speaking to people as a way to understand,
one of the topics that we liketo cover here is mentorships.
How was, how would you describea mentor?
do you ask someone to be amentor?
Has somebody come up to you andsay, Hey, would you be my
mentor?
Or have you ever gone to someoneand say, Hey, I'm gonna be I'm
gonna be your mentor, or can yoube my mentee?
(26:13):
Like, how does that work?
How do you even start thatrelationship?
Cesar (26:17):
I, it hasn't happened to me, but I have seen people give
the same advice.
But it, it always feels awkwardto me.
'cause again I'm, by nature, I'ma very timid person.
So I think for me, I.
It's more of identifying folksand trying to build a
relationship without necessarilymaking that ask.
I, I'm sure if you make thatask, it'll probably be a lot
(26:39):
more beneficial.
But I think I'm pretty goodabout.
The types of questions that Iwonder from them that I wanna
know more of.
And the reason why.
So I think having that, one,what is a mentor, right?
It's that guide that can helpyou avoid pitfalls along the
way, right?
If you wanna define it in thatway and in terms of obtaining,
it sometimes it feels kinda likevery formal that you have to
(27:02):
make that ask, right?
But I don't think you do.
'cause you might have somepeople that you might only
interact with them, a coupletimes a year or every other
year, a text or a phone call orsomething, right?
But they're always there andthere are other people you might
see more on a regular basis thatyou might go to them more
frequently for other types ofadvice.
So I think you can havedifferent types of mentors for
(27:25):
different things withoutnecessarily having to formally.
Identify and say, Hey, you'regonna be my mentor, I'm gonna be
your mentee, or can I be yourmentee?
I think that's another way ofgoing about it as well.
Miguel Sanchez (27:37):
as we come to an end.
What would you say is yourbiggest achievement as a first
generation graduate?
Cesar (27:44):
I think the answer is in the question, being a graduate
if you look at statistics.
Especially for men of color,numbers go down, with every
educational sector.
So the fact that, like I said, Iwas very mischievous when I was
younger.
Not in a bad way, Dennis themenace sort of thing, So the
fact that I got through, all theway, and just the other day I
(28:05):
was looking at stats forindividuals with doctoral
degrees.
Like in the US about 3% of thepopulation have the doctoral
degree.
When you look at Latinos,especially Latino men, it's
0.1%.
So the fact that I'm like,actually I have my proposal
defense later in, in October.
(28:25):
So like I can almost see thelight at the end of the tunnel.
So I think that'll be one of mybiggest achievements.
Miguel Sanchez (28:31):
I didn't know how low and I'm shocked, I'm
also not surprised.
it's important to, to show thesenumbers and maybe there's a way
we can do that better, maybe tothis podcast or to other mediums
because numbers tell a story andsometimes we say, oh, there
aren't a lot.
But when you say a percentage,that's less than one.
(28:51):
It's really eye-opening.
Cesar (28:53):
And I think, yeah, and I think it's also in, in how we
change the narrative, right?
Oftentimes when we list someoneas a statistic with a negative
connotation, right?
But depending on the statisticthat you're trying to.
To site.
It could be a good thing.
So I think that's also how wecan start changing the narrow a
little bit, is the types ofstatistics we use when we use
(29:14):
them.
Yeah.
Miguel Sanchez (29:16):
great.
So is there anything else thatyou would like to add?
Is there anything that you want.
Are listeners to hear eitheradvice from your experience,
anything that you feel be said.
Cesar (29:29):
For one, thank you for having this platform to amplify
the voices.
As I said earlier I think themore.
Miguel Sanchez (29:35):
Stories
Cesar (29:36):
we get out there, especially people that come from
backgrounds that we came frommight look like us.
Hopefully some with more hairthan I do.
But I think seeing thoseexamples that they can do it
too.
So that's one.
And then two I guess two moreother things.
One is it's never too late tostart and make that change be
another, and along with that isasking for help because I think,
(30:00):
you mentioned it earlier aswell, that, had you asked for
help at certain stages, thingswould've been a little bit
different.
I think as oftentimes we don'tallow ourselves because of
whatever pride or anything elsethat say, I gotta get through
this on my own.
But no, if there's kinda supportthat you can look at, get it.
Miguel Sanchez (30:20):
thank you very much for being with us today.
I appreciate you, your adviceand your the information, and
I'm sure there will be many ofus who are gonna listen to this
episode, Elise, more than once.
Thank you for being here today.
Cesar (30:32):
Thank you, Miguel.
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