188bet备用网址 alumna Cristal Harris overcame many challenges, including homlessness, to achieve her dream of becoming a lawyer. Cristal鈥檚 inspiring journey started at #SJ188bet备用网址College, the #SmartStepForward.
188bet备用网址 College Student Alumna, Crystal Harris, Perseveres Against All Odds in Pursuit of an Education
April 12, 2017
2011 188bet备用网址 College graduate Cristal Harris was the college's first guest alumni speaker at this year's ceremony. Ms. Harris shared her inspiring story of perseverance against all odds in pursuit of an education. Though homeless at 18, her journey of success started at San Joaquin 188bet备用网址 College in Fall 2008. The Weston Ranch grad had ample experience in fine arts; she dreamed of being an artist who worked with chalk pastels. Initially, the truth of her existence dampened those ambitions. Cristal's life would pivot in another direction at 188bet备用网址 College.
'The staff, faculty, students, and administrators at 188bet备用网址 wove a fence of protection around me," said Harris. "It's no exaggeration that I had no future, no plans, no real goals and no tools for success. I came to 188bet备用网址 College hopeless, hungry, and afraid for the future ... I left 188bet备用网址 brimming with courage and full of the education needed to go to UCLA."
Cristal tells students that the first key to overcoming harsh circumstances and finding success is to seek help from those around you. 'There were many times when I doubted if tomorrow was worth the trouble. I looked to my support groups: the church, staff at 188bet备用网址, faculty, etc. It reminded me that it was all worth it in the end."
Harris emphasizes that community colleges foster the success of real human beings - of people who are poor or challenged as outsiders in life's social strata. 'These people go on to become technicians, mechanics, college counselors - and even lawyers."
Harris just graduated from The University of San Francisco's School of Law when 188bet备用网址's commencement ceremony took place. Her goal is to help those less fortunate by becoming a public defender and law professor. These new dreams of service to the community were ignited at 188bet备用网址 College.
Cristal Harris is honored to have been selected the college's first alumni speaker and believes she is the embodiment of what a community college education fosters. "/ grew to have a vision, a dream and goal at 188bet备用网址 College. I no longer wanted to just exist; I wanted to impact the world in meaningful ways."
Cristal's commencement speech focused on finding the "why" of one's existence as a motivating force. She says it was her "why" that got her out of bed in the morning and put her to sleep at night. "One of my 'whys' is my niece Destiny. When I get tired of pulling another 6 a.m. a/1-nighter study session, I remember that Destiny is behind me. She needs me to be an example that she too can be a successful educated black woman."
Cristal Harris finishes, "It is imperative for students standing in the same shoes I once stood to discover who they can become -not just because someone told them, but because someone like them achieved it."