Marisol ’19 (left) and Crystal Baltazar ’21 (right) both recommended their cousin Miguel Andrede-Salcedo ’22 apply for the SUCCESS Trio program, which will help him succeed at Pacific.

Incoming freshman setting high marks for success

Miguel Andrade-Salcedo '22 had already set high standards for himself even before stepping onto campus for his first semester at Pacific.

For Andrade-Salcedo, thriving meant maintaining a 4.25 GPA while also running track and cross country all four years at Lathrop High School. He had been a runner in grade school and being able to run was motivation for maintaining good grades.

"It was really worth it," said Andrade-Salcedo of his hard work in the classroom and on the track or trail. "All the work paid off. ... I believe time management was key. I think the motivation was to have good grades and run, but also have time for a social life. ... I don't like leaving things unfinished."

Andrade-Salcedo has already found his purpose. He is majoring in psychology at Pacific and plans to pursue a master's degree before becoming a teacher.

"I look forward to that because I want to help others the way my teachers have helped me at times when I struggled," he said "I can be an influencer, a motivator. I can be someone students can look up to when they need help."

He picked Pacific because of its proximity to his home in Lathrop and the resources available to him through the SUCCESS–TRiO program, one of a family of federal programs to help low-income and disabled Americans overcome barriers to attaining a higher education.

"I've been thinking of Pacific since middle school," said Andrade-Salcedo, whose seventh-grade teacher, Martha Salcedo '96, is a Pacific alumna. The two are not related. "She'd tell me about this school and tell me about the resources. She gave me all sorts of information."

He believes being part of SUCCESS-TRiO will provide what he needs for maintaining his grades, including financial aid, new experiences and relationships.

"It means a lot as a freshman student, because I'm always seeking new experiences," Andrade-Salcedo said of SUCCESS-TRiO.

As a freshman, Andrade-Salcedo has a couple of other SUCCESS-TRiO resources most won't have — cousins Marisol '19 and Crystal Baltazar '21, who are also in the program. The three grew up together in Oakland before their families moved to Lathrop when they were young, so they know each other well. The Baltazar sisters recommended that Andrade-Salcedo apply for the federal program because of their own experiences.

"I recommended it to Miguel because SUCCESS has helped me thrive academically and personally," said Marisol Baltazar, majoring in business management and human resources with a minor in psychology. "I also like the fact that they offer us a space to study, eat and hang out in between classes. ... I simply believe that SUCCESS is an amazing program for first-generation students and Miguel would miss out if he did not join."

Crystal Baltazar concurred.

"SUCCESS is a great program because it offers valuable resources such as the computer lab, informative activities, scholarship opportunities, tutoring, student mentors and more," said the studio art and graphic design major who plans to become an art professor. "I know that going through college would be difficult without SUCCESS, because they offer valuable information that I only receive in this program."

It has always been about more than just earning good grades and running for Andrade-Salcedo. He has always wanted to remain well rounded, and for the past several years he has been part of Lathrop High School's Go Green Club. The club strives to increase knowledge about recycling and divert as many recyclables as possible from the school's trash.

He also finds motivation in his family-parents Miguel and Maria, and younger sisters, Paulina, 11, and Stephanie, 13.

"I feel proud to be at Pacific, because no one in my family has gone to college before," Andrade-Salcedo said. "I feel that it's challenging and satisfying to be here. ... It's quite exciting and I don't want to let my parents down."