“I didn’t think I was going to make it because of my surroundings,” he said. “Coming from southeast San Diego, I grew up in low-income housing and didn’t have anyone to look up to who could help me navigate college. It was either sports, work, or gangs in my neighborhood and I chose sports.”
His future changed when a counselor reached out to him.
“Mr. Wegener would tell me he saw my potential and talked to me about City College,” said Gastelum. He applied for and participated in Signing Days at Morse, a milestone event that marks the celebration of students committed to pursuing an education past high school.
Gastelum, whose family is from Jalpa, Zacatecas and Ensenada, Baja California, was among one of 10 local high school students who earned the 2022 Jim and Jan Sinegal Presidential Scholarship, which provides $2,500 toward tuition and a MacBook.
“Achieving this scholarship not only supports me but also my family,” he said. “My mom and dad are very proud.”
Now in his second semester at City College, Gastelum, who is also part of the San Diego Promise, works as an Outreach Ambassador and is the vice president of the Umoja program.
We recently spoke with Gastelum about his first-year experience and goals for the future.
Describe your experience at City College?
City College has been so nice to me. Ever since Signing Days at my high school, I have had an amazing experience. My life has truly changed for the better once I committed to this amazing college. Not only the college itself but the people here have truly been influential in my experience here at City. My favorite part was being able to invite my family to the Scholarship Banquet. I feel like I am at the right place at the right time.
How did you choose communication studies as your major?
I am good at talking and communicating with people. I want to use my voice to help others. Ever since preschool, I have always been told I talked a lot and that I am very outgoing, so I chose communications.
What does Umoja mean to you and what is your involvement with the club?
Umoja is big at City College; it means a lot to a lot of people. For me personally, Umoja is more than a program, it is a culture, it is a family, and it is love. Growing up in the southeast, I have always embraced Black and African American culture. I like that we learn through an African lens.
As vice president of Umoja, I do my best to help organize events for our campus but most importantly have the responsibility to be a leader within my community and lead by example not just academically but also as a person. For Black History Month, we hosted a series “Black Film Fridays” where students and employees at City could watch movies that feature influential Black and African American people. I get to go to conferences like the A²MEND Conference in Los Angeles and the Umoja Conference in Anaheim, which gives exposure to extraordinary people who we listen to and learn from. We come back to our colleges and communities to spread our new obtained knowledge to the people around us.
What is it like being an Outreach Ambassador?
My dad told me I won the lottery, because I earned the scholarship and became an Outreach Ambassador right out of high school. As an ambassador, I have the opportunity to return to my high school and many other high schools in San Diego to share my story with other students like me.
What advice would you give high school students?
My advice for others would be to maintain a balance between your education and your personal life, you cannot obtain your success without both aspects of your life working in unison.
Where do you want to transfer to after City College?
I graduate in spring 2024; my first choice would be to transfer to UC Berkeley in the fall followed by UC Los Angeles, UC Santa Barbara, or UC Davis.
What are your career goals?
I just know I want a career that allows me to use my voice to help in a bigger way. If it is through being involved in the educational system, coming back to San Diego City College, or even just working someplace where people need to be heard on a bigger stage.