One day I want to write policy papers, to write policy that actually makes a difference. I’m originally from Ethiopia—from the capital, Addis Ababa—so I was already interested in international development. But then I studied abroad in China. Seeing the country was eye-opening and an incredibly transformative experience. The whole reason I’m interested in poverty … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Amha Tesfaye →

We had a business in Miami for 10 years, but it went into bankruptcy. I decided to go back to school to get my degree and get a better job. If I could not own my own business, I had to do something better for me and my family. My daughter and son came to … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Jenny Guardado →

Considering a Santa Fe College utopia is similar to the question: Can we wave a magic fairy wand and create the future we want to create? If we could do that, that future would mean that each individual who walks through our doors or lives in our community, who lives in our society, and in … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Cheryl Calhoun →

Humans have always searched for answers to the things in nature we encounter every day. We’ve asked questions like ‘What are the stars?’ or ‘How does the universe work?’ or ‘How did everything begin?’ and, ultimately, ‘What is our role in all of this?’ I’ve always liked the phrase ‘Keep looking up!’ because, in its … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – James Albury →

Before I came here, I worked at Amazon and Bass Pro. That’s when I started my current career path. I’ve been able to see both sides of the coin: what happens when you apply yourself versus what happens when you get complacent and don’t apply yourself. I learned that if I want anything in life, … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Derrick Evans →

My drama teacher in high school told me I wasn’t talented enough to have a career in theater, to be an actor. ‘Don’t waste your time doing that.’ That’s what she told me. And I kind of believed her, so I figured out what else I was good at. I moved to D.C. at age … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Reji Woods →

I grew up in an orphanage in Ukraine. I’ve seen a lot of different stories and different lives that kids have had. Most of the time, kids were taken away from their parents due to neglect or abuse. I want to pursue criminal justice to prevent these experiences for kids by helping to change the … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Natasha Prior →

My biggest challenge came when I moved into the professional field as a stagehand. It is a male dominated field that favors physical strength and knowledge of the industry. Being a small female, sometimes that worked against me. I was always thought of as ‘the new girl.’ It could be a rough environment. The culture … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Liz Reynolds →

I lost my cousin, her baby and her fiancé on December 12, 2017. They were murdered inside their home. My cousin always told me, ‘You’re going to do great things in life. You just have to stay focused.’ Because of her, I can’t stop what I’m doing. I couldn’t save her, but by being a … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Antoneik Evans →

After I graduated from Santa Fe, I immediately went to SCAD – The University for Creative Careers where I got my undergraduate degree in sequential art, which is the fancy name for ‘comic books.’ At first, I thought I wanted to work on mainstream comics, to be that guy who did Batman or Superman. And then I … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Andre R. Frattino →

I came to Gainesville with nothing. I didn’t have a penny. I’m from Nigeria and came here to attend a conference. While I was coming, I lost my credit card that I was to use for hotels, food, all of that. I asked a fellow in the Gainesville Airport, ‘Where can I stay? I have … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Prince Ulame Erase →

In my era, women didn’t go into the service. It wasn’t considered appropriate for a young lady to go into the service. But for some reason, I was always attracted to it, so I joined the Marine Corps at almost 19. It was tough, especially at that time. Women were a very small population, so … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Sandra Torres-Pintos →

I don’t think people should have to be in the minimum wage market. We have an opportunity for everyone, from the lowest socio-economic bracket. I’ll go anywhere and talk about Santa Fe because I want to get the word out. Even just one semester can help get you out of minimum wage. The phlebotomy certificate … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Sari Sanborn →

My skin is beautiful, my mind is beautiful, my soul, in a sense, is beautiful. Being involved in My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) allowed me to see the good in me when I didn’t see the good in myself. – Asley Pollas, Advising Specialist, Blount Center, MBK Member #SaintsOfSantaFeCollege #WeAreAllSaints

My brother always told me, forget about being good. Just paint. When you drop your inhibitions and fears, and you just go for it, you have nothing to lose. Things start coming together. I wouldn’t be here if that wasn’t true. I did my A.S. degree here in graphic design while I was a baker. … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Jorge Ibáñez →

I read a study that suggested an oral roll call at the start of class had a tremendous impact in student completion and success rates. I thought, ‘That’s crazy!’ I didn’t believe it at first. But I tried it out and learned everyone’s name really quickly. About midway through the term, I had lost no … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Rhonda Morris →

Jose: The Smash Brothers was something we always called ourselves. With obstacles or barriers in life, it’s our reminder to just smash through it. In Camden, NJ—that’s known for violence, crime, homicides—we saw our family struggling to make ends meet. But we were raised to do more, to do better, not just for us, but … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Jose Torres-Soldevila, Angelo Torres-Soldevila →

I don’t know about anybody else, but Santa Fe has been a rock for me. I went from babies to grown babies. I started with the daycare, at the Little School, and for the life of me, I never thought I’d be sitting here in an office. That was the biggest step for me. There … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Mary Gandy-Rochelle →

When I was born, it was determined I had cardiomyopathy and was going to need a new heart. The doctor said, ‘He’s dying. We’re losing him.’ My mom had a choice: They could send me somewhere else for treatment, let me die peacefully or I could be on a machine and wait on the transplant … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Reese Domond →

I love Santa Fe College because it has an open door policy. Yo amo a Santa Fe College porque tiene una puerta abierta por todo el mundo. – Alejandro Puga, A.A. Political Science, Student Body President #SaintsOfSantaFeCollege #WeAreAllSaints

Before Santa Fe College, my life was hard. It wasn’t an easy journey for me. I left Syria before the war started, but it will forever have a piece of my heart. The majority of my family is all over the world because of the war. It’s not easy to live there. There’s no electricity, … Continue reading Saints of Santa Fe College – Joudi Ayroud →