Oscar Gonzalez turned his struggles into life lessons for himself and others. He is currently the Education Director for Breakthrough Kent Denver whose mission is to increase the educational and social opportunities for motivated, under-resourced, urban middle school students and to motivate and train talented high school and college students for careers in education.
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Growing up, my parents constantly stressed the importance of education. My parents moved from Mexico to the United States in hopes of better opportunities. Neither my mother nor father finished high school. My mom went on to earn her GED, and my father eventually found work as a mason. They realized the value of education and always stressed academic success to me. I always had a passion for learning and enjoyed attending school as a result of my upbringing.
After attending Denver Public Schools all my life, I was blessed and had the opportunity to attend Kent Denver School. While I had never heard of it, I was recruited. It only made sense to attend one of the top schools in Colorado even if it was far from my inner city home. While my parents were supportive, my father did not understand what separated a prep school from the local public high school. He believed as long as I worked hard that I would make it to college no matter what. While this is true, I knew Kent Denver would open even more doors and guarantee me a spot at a prestigious college.
I had no idea how difficult the next four years would truly be. I entered as a confident student and almost immediately became the shyest kid in the freshman class. It was a complete culture shock. I grew up thinking I had a nice house, but I quickly became ashamed of all my belongings. I hated that my parents could not afford the nicest clothes for me to wear. I hated that I had to take the bus to school while my classmates received a brand new car as soon as they turned 16. I hated that my parents did not take me on nice vacations or own a condo in the mountains. Sadly, I was naïve and allowed the color of my skin and my family’s social class to dictate my life. I paid close attention to my every move at Kent Denver because I felt as though I was representing my entire race and even other minorities at Kent, and I did not want to portray them in a negative manner.
Initially, I struggled academically because the social pressure was too much. I lost all confidence and felt as though I didn’t belong, socially or academically. I felt as though everyone lived in the Kent Denver bubble and didn’t understand the real world, didn’t understand my world. Once I found teachers who believed in me, I was able to believe in myself. The first-class education kept me focused. I terminated any thoughts of leaving my predominately upper class white school because I knew a Kent Denver education would benefit me in the long run, even if I was fulfilling their need for a token, quota-filling minority student. I felt as though the school and I were mutually using each other. We both got something out the deal: as the school became more diverse, I was on a path to graduate from a prestigious institution where all students attend college.
While I struggled in high school, I found refuge at Breakthrough Kent Denver, a place where I could truly be myself. I began volunteering my sophomore year by mentoring under-resourced students from Denver Public Schools after school and then taught in the after school program for three years. I worked with middle school students from my neighborhood because as soon as I stepped foot on Kent Denver’s campus my eyes were opened to the injustices in education. I realized I was incredibly lucky to attend Kent Denver, so I wanted to give back to my community and show students they too could attend Kent Denver and make it to college. My passion for education reform began at this time. Any aspirations of becoming a businessman went out the window, and I became committed to eliminating the achievement gap in education.
I really appreciate the opportunity of attending Kent Denver, and I have no regrets of my prep school experience. While it was difficult, it taught me how to persevere when I thought no one believed in me. It helped me grow in so many ways. I learned to communicate with all sorts of different people, people I was not exposed to in my community growing up. While it was hard at the time, I see the value in the experience, especially in the education. I found teachers who did believe in me and helped me cope with my feelings of being an outsider.
Because of the top-notch education I received, I attended Northwestern University. After graduating college, I began working full time for Breakthrough Kent Denver. I am committed to ensuring all students receive a quality education and have the option to attend college. I serve as a role model because I was able to make it out of my neighborhood and attend college.
While attending Kent Denver School was bittersweet, I am happy my father ultimately decided to pay the $250 a year (as opposed to $15,000 tuition) so that I could attend a prep school. I would not be the person I am today had I not been blessed with this opportunity.
- Oscar Gonzalez
