SUCCESS STORIES

Felipe Colin

Felipe Colin's life has not been easy. As a child growing up in Mexico, Felipe split his time between his studies and working 40 hours a week at a tacqueria to support his family. In Mexico, education was not free and available to everyone. There were rarely enough funds to support the family as well as his education. At home, life was not easy. His family was dysfunctional and his father regularly abused his mother. Since the age of eleven years, he has worked full-time as the only means of support for his mother and himself. His father would only show up on pay-day to hit him and his mother until he gave him the money he had earned. In 2004 his father beat him very badly and he ended up in the emergency room. When he got out of the hospital he left his mother and Mexico to come to America because he was afraid that his father would kill him the next time. From the hospital, Felipe boarded a flight to San Francisco to join one of his cousins. Soon after his arrival, Felipe's cousin abandoned him, leaving him alone and homeless.

Eventually, Felipe ended up in foster care system and was able to complete his high school education. He worked very hard to graduate from high school and become eligible to go to college. Currently, Felipe is a student at San Francisco State University where he majors in Biology and maintains a 3.5 cumulative G.P.A. One of his career goals is to become a doctor because he believes he can make a difference in people's lives by helping them at an early age. He hopes to become a plastic surgeon and specialize in reconstructive surgery. With the help of technology he plans to develop a technique to make surgical scars smoother and less noticeable and improve the patient's outcome. Felipe has been active in extra-curricular activities including the Independent Living Skills Program, and the Boys and Girls Club.

One day, he hopes to be able to travel to countries where his help is needed. There are so many children both in America and around the world who need medical attention. He plan to provide them with professional medical care and to make them feel more confident about themselves by leaving no scars to remind them of their past. Felipe received the Emancipating to Real Freedom Scholarship in 2007 and participated in the Laptop Computer Program in 2008.

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