"I was not sure where I would be going to college due to my financial status. I applied for the Goizueta Scholarship being offered at AASU and it has allowed me to earn a degree."--Luis
Proud Member of AASU Class of 2009
Major: Psychology
Luis arrived in South Carolina as a 10-year-old boy from Durango, Mexico. He always knew he wanted to earn a college degree. As a psychology major at AASU, his focus on his future never wavered. "I did not come so far without a reason," he said. "My parents didn't sacrifice so much for nothing."
A self-taught musician, he produced a CD prior to his graduation. Most of the recording for the self-produced CD was done in his aunt's hair salon using minimal equipment. Songs in the CD recount some of his experiences, challenges, and dreams as a young immigrant. Following his graduation, he has been thinking about how to combine two fields that interest him the most.
"Perhaps I can find a way of incorporating music into psychology," he said.
But he's not waiting around until he's got everything figured out. As he likes to tell other students who may be following in his immigrant shoes, "Don't wait on inspiration, but seek inspiration in what you enjoy. Once you have a vision, start to move toward it without much concern for the obstacles that may come. The solutions, like the obstacles, will come one by one."
Luis Ruiz
Hometown: Bluffton, South CarolinaProud Member of AASU Class of 2009
Major: Psychology
Songs of Success
Mexican student Luis Ruiz is a soft-spoken soul who exemplifies persistence, hard work and hope. The National Council of La Raza, the largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the country, would agree. The organization recently awarded Luis a $10,000 scholarship after choosing his autobiographical essay from among hundreds submitted by other Latino students in a national contest. Participants were asked to write about personal experiences as Latino leaders and describe what steps they had taken to promote tolerance and inclusion in their communities. Luis' winning essay can be found at http://lideres.nclr.org.Luis arrived in South Carolina as a 10-year-old boy from Durango, Mexico. He always knew he wanted to earn a college degree. As a psychology major at AASU, his focus on his future never wavered. "I did not come so far without a reason," he said. "My parents didn't sacrifice so much for nothing."
A self-taught musician, he produced a CD prior to his graduation. Most of the recording for the self-produced CD was done in his aunt's hair salon using minimal equipment. Songs in the CD recount some of his experiences, challenges, and dreams as a young immigrant. Following his graduation, he has been thinking about how to combine two fields that interest him the most.
"Perhaps I can find a way of incorporating music into psychology," he said.
But he's not waiting around until he's got everything figured out. As he likes to tell other students who may be following in his immigrant shoes, "Don't wait on inspiration, but seek inspiration in what you enjoy. Once you have a vision, start to move toward it without much concern for the obstacles that may come. The solutions, like the obstacles, will come one by one."
