Scholar Films
Harun's most recent film, In the Name of the Son, is based on his experiences growing up in wartime Bosnia
Juan J. Cadena
“Being the first in my family to attend college has led me into uncharted territories; it’s like walking into a new city with a blindfold on.”
- Program: 2008 Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship Recipient
- Resides: Berkeley, CA
- Hometown: Strathmore, CA
- Age: 27
- Community College: College of the Sequoias
- Four-year College or University: University of California, Berkeley
- Academic/Career Pursuits: Computing / IT, Government, Military / Defense, Police Officer / Criminal Justice, Graduate School or FBI Academy
- Other Interests: Astronomy, Honor Society, Mathematics, Sciences, Sports
Biography
PROFILE: Raised by parents who did not finish high school, Juan (Joe) Cadena found himself encouraged in two different directions. While his mother pushed him to be the first in the family to attend college, his father—a Marine Corps veteran born to a Mexican immigrant family—insisted he serve his country first.
Joe explored every option before fulfilling both of his parents’ wishes. He entered the Marine Corps in 2000, serving three combat tours to Iraq before returning home in 2006 to begin his academic pursuits. “I returned with a new attitude and stronger work ethic. I reminded my mother that I had not forgotten her wish and would exceed her expectations.”
INSPIRATION: Joe’s experiences in Iraq brought home the importance of education. “During my second tour to the Middle East, I was assigned to a unit charged with the protection of a group responsible for the rebuilding effort. Through my interactions with the people of Iraq, I learned that only the privileged were allowed to receive a formal education.”
ASPIRATION: Joe plans to study computer science with an emphasis on cryptology and security. “I had the opportunity to conduct counterintelligence missions with a Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I learned that one of the most critical and highly sought specialties within the FBI is computer science.”
MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Joe tutors math and science and serves as Vice President of the campus science and engineering club. He belongs to the Alpha Gamma Sigma Honors Society and was an organizer for their winter clothes and canned food drive. He was also a summer camp counselor for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
ACCOLADES: On the President’s List at college for four consecutive terms, Joe earned the Horatio Alger Distinguished Military Scholar Award. While on active duty with the Marine Corps, he received the Joint Service Commendation Medal for selfless actions performed in a hostile environment during multi-coalition operations.
INTERESTING FACT: Joe is often asked if he agrees with the Iraq war. He always replies, “I don’t know.” He adds that if anyone asked him instead how he felt during the war, he would show them Picasso’s Guernica and ask in return, “How do you feel?”
Other Scholars Like Juan
Hai Vo
Undergraduate Transfer Scholar
University of California, Irvine
Ian
Young Scholar
Fishers High School
Vanessa Wright
College Scholar
University of Southern California
Amy Myers
Graduate Scholar
University of Arizona