Julio Alex Maldonado-Garcia

Maldonado-garcia__j

“The easiest explanation for my success is that I learned how to listen to suggestions, formulate attainable goals, allow my ambitions to help motivate me, and found ways to push myself past my perceived limitations in order to grow.”

  • Program: 2009 Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship Recipient
  • Resides: San Francisco, CA
  • Hometown: Redwood City, CA
  • Age: 26

Biography

PROFILE: Julio “Alex” Alejandro Maldonado-Garcia overcame a considerable number of obstacles to become a community college honor student and president of his school’s chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society. A native of Guatemala, Alex came to America when he was six years old. His is a compelling story, one that would be better told in a movie or novel as a source of inspiration for other young people. But it would be best to let Alex explain in his own words: “The moment that had a profound change in my life and inspired me to pursue academic success happened when I was at rock bottom. In 2005, I found myself incarcerated in San Mateo County Jail and battling an addiction to drugs. While serving my sentence at the men’s camp one of the guards and I got into an argument. He told me with conviction that I was ‘nothing but a no good gangbanger homie who is going to spend the rest of his life in prison.’ Soon after he said this I was taken aback and immediately came to the realization that he was right. If I continued on the same path my ultimate end would come in the California prison system. At first I was furious and cursed his name for daring to make such a prediction about me. His comments made me take a harsh look at my life and I decided that I was over with the ‘thug life.’ From then I began a quest to better my life.”

INSPIRATION: Alex said he would not be where he is today, on his way to the University of California, Berkeley, “without the support of my family and friends as well as my instructors and faculty at Cañada College.” At Cañada, there was one professor that stood out, Paul Roscelli. “He took me under his wing and believed in me before I did.”

ASPIRATION: Economics is Alex’s passion. After completing his undergraduate degree at the UC, Berkeley, Alex aspires to attend Oxford University.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Alex’s message and story is one of hope for those in despair. Fortunately, as a result of his time in jail, he decided to turn his life around. His story and academic success has been chronicled by various Bay Area media outlets. In addition, Alex has given many hours to projects sponsored by the Phi Theta Kappa chapter that he presided over and he also spends some free time working for Forests Forever, a San Francisco-based non-profit.

ACCOLADES: Alex was a Dean’s List student, was president of his chapter of Phi Theta Kappa and was awarded Cañada College President’s Leadership Award as well as the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting Scholarship.

INTERESTING FACT: Alex has lost quite a bit of weight in the five years since he was in high school. At one point he weighed 250 pounds. Now, he’s down to a svelte 175 pounds.

Other Scholars Like Julio

041206_rhodes_jewell_thumb

Joseph Jewell
Graduate Scholar
California Institute of Technology

Denisvega_thumb

Denis Vega
Undergraduate Transfer Scholar
University of California-Riverside

Kouassi__koffi_rene_yves-web_thumb

Rene Yves Kouassi
Undergraduate Transfer Scholar
Claremont McKenna College

Rt_thumb

Rebekah Tolopilo
Undergraduate Transfer Scholar
University of California, Los Angeles