On Saturday, October 26, Rosendo Guzmán Valadez achieved one of his greatest dreams thanks to an agreement between Centro San Juan Diego and UPAEP, a prominent university in Puebla, Mexico.
Originally from Jalisco, Mexico, Guzmán arrived in the United States at 18 with the same goal as many immigrants: to fulfill the American dream of working to have a better life.
Although he always showed a great interest in studying, in Mexico, his parents could only provide him with the resources to complete elementary and middle school, so he had to start working at a very young age.
“I’m from a small town, so there were very few opportunities,” he recalled.
Once in the United States, he dedicated himself to working to get ahead. However, he says there was always a gap that could not be filled with work or material things; Guzmán longed to complete his studies and, above all, to learn more.
In 2012, after the death of his mother, Guzmán took refuge in reading to cope with his depression and grief.
“I got very depressed. So, I started reading a little philosophy, natural sciences and social sciences — mostly philosophy to fight off the depression,” he remembers.
Seeing him so immersed in books, a coworker told him about Centro San Juan Diego and the possibility of completing his high school education through a test (GED). Although he was initially a bit skeptical, he decided to learn more and give it a try. Soon after, with a lot of effort, Guzmán passed the GED exam. Once he achieved this, Centro San Juan Diego recommended that he continue his studies through the educational offerings with UPAEP.
Unsure but eager to keep learning and preparing, Guzmán accepted the challenge in 2016 and, through Centro, enrolled at UPAEP to pursue a law degree.
“It was very difficult. My job took up a lot of time — sometimes, I had to work even on weekends, and I only had a couple of hours left to do my homework. It was very hard, but I had the motivation not to give up. At the same time, I was fascinated by the new knowledge,” he shared.
Eight years later, in an intimate and emotional ceremony alongside other students, Guzmán graduated and received his law degree.
“For me, a degree is a very high level. I never thought I would be there. It was something unattainable for me; I never even considered it, even as a dream. This achievement is something wonderful that I can’t explain. I’m so happy I achieved it,” Guzmán said.
On Friday, October 25, the UPAEP graduation events began with a special Mass for graduates, celebrated by Bishop Jorge Rodríguez, auxiliary bishop of Denver. During his moving homily, the bishop reminded the graduates of the importance of taking this new achievement as part of the mission that God has entrusted to them.
“Study becomes service. It is a personal achievement, yes, but above all, it is a work of God. Perhaps it gives me the possibility to have financial means, yes, but if I look beyond, it gives me the possibility to serve others,” Bishop Jorge expressed.
On the morning of Saturday, October 26, the graduation ceremony took place, where 11 students received their degrees in various fields. Likewise, the Cruz Forjada academic award was presented, which recognizes the three students with the highest GPA in each program.
The Abelardo Award was also presented, which is given to the student with the highest score in their academic program and includes a scholarship for a master’s degree with an 85% discount. On this occasion, Guzmán was the lucky scholarship winner due to his great effort and academic dedication.
“I earned a master’s degree thanks to the Abelardo Award. I’m scared, but I’m going to try, and I’m going to do it. What’s for sure is that I’m going to give my best effort,” he said, excited.
“Never forget that Centro is here to continue supporting, to help families and their members to study and be formed to serve society better, showing that the dignity of the human person is not determined by their immigration status, a social security number or the color of their skin, but by their capacity to adapt, their resilience, their character and primarily their essence, which is being a child of God,” said Alfonso Lara, director of Centro San Juan Diego, during his speech.
For his part, Guzmán is filled with gratitude towards his UPAEP professors and the staff at Centro, who never stopped supporting him.
“What I liked about the university is that it is very flexible, of high human quality, and very attentive. The professors are always aware of the students’ needs. I really appreciated that human warmth… I felt a lot of support from my teachers… I’m also very grateful to Roberto López. He helped me a lot in the last two years with paperwork for graduation, and he is always attentive to students’ needs. He’s an angel who helps us so much.”
It’s never too late to achieve your dreams, and Guzmán is a great example of this. Although the path is not easy, it is not impossible. Since the beginning of this great partnership, many people have been able to fulfill their educational and professional goals with the support of UPAEP and Centro San Juan Diego.
“Education has given me everything; I haven’t given anything back. I soak it in and fill myself with knowledge,” Guzmán concluded.
Congratulations to all the graduates!
