Articles - Fall 2006 - return to index
As a migrant farm worker, Juan José Mora Flores’ father wanted more for his children than a life of physical labor. So in 1993, he moved the family from Mexico to Eugene, where he enrolled Juan José in English as a Second Language classes. The then-9-year-old mastered English and found inspiration for his future.
Today, Juan José, now 23, has an associate degree from Lane Community College and will transfer this fall to the University of Oregon, where he plans to fulfill his dream of becoming an elementary school teacher.
"I realize teaching isn't very high-paying, but I’m not in it for the money," he says. "I just want to give back to the community."
Juan José—the oldest of seven children and the first in his family to complete both high school (he’s a 2002 North Eugene graduate) and college—says scholarships, hard work, and encouragement from others provided the recipe for his success. Juan José was one of 20 Lane students to receive Robert W. and Bernice Ingalls Staton Scholarships. Two $5,000 awards made it possible to attend Lane, he says.
"We were in a tight budget situation at home," he explains. Juan José supplemented the family income by working in Lane’s counseling office and at ShopKo, where he’s been employed since high school.
Just as he was given a hand as a child in language classes and at Lane, Juan José is committed to helping others transform their lives through learning. "What I know I always like to share with everyone," he says. He adds that he's eager to reach 9- and 10-year-olds.
"It’s a good age to teach," he says. "If the tree is a little zigzag, you can still straighten it out. It's a good time to provide them with a solid foundation."
For information about scholarship opportunities and ways to give to the Lane Community College Foundation, be sure to visit 2011sitearchive.lanecc.edu/foundation.
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