Although Celine Lopez ended her formal education in the seventh grade and spent years cycling through homelessness and incarceration, her life took a transformative turn when she joined Santa Ana College's Rising Scholars Program.
"I met my counselor, Patricia Tejeda when I was 10 credits away from graduating, and she pushed me through," Lopez said. "She believed in me, and I knew I could succeed."
The Rising Scholars Program supports justice-impacted students through quality education, job training, and comprehensive services designed to help them achieve their goals and feel supported as they transition into college.
"We strive to meet students where they are and remove any barriers they may be experiencing in their lives," Tejeda said. "We are welcoming and give students a second, third, and fourth chance to return to school and to our program. Our hope is that through education they can improve their lives and overall well-being."
Since joining the program, Lopez has earned her high school diploma, multiple leadership certificates, and a phlebotomy training certificate. She is now on track to complete her AA at Santa Ana College.
Having once navigated the incarceration system alone and recognizing how many inmates come from troubled backgrounds, Lopez now hopes to become a licensed clinical social worker.
"I will help my clients till my last breath," she said. "I strive to show them that no matter what challenges they face in life, they can overcome them, because I did."
Recently, Lopez reconnected with a friend she met in a homeless shelter in 2022.
"I got in contact with her, and I encouraged her to enroll in school and she's looking forward to it," she said warmly.
Throughout her educational journey, her greatest supporters have been Tejeda, her mother, and her grandmother, who passed away in May. Lopez still carries their collective wisdom with her.
"You won't regret making this big change," she recalled. "It is never too late to make a change to yourself and society while pursuing your dreams."