Panchito's Argumentative Essay

Francisco “Panchito” Martínez was born to immigrant parents from México and was raised in a low-income household in one of San Diego’s most underserved communities, Barrio Logan, where only one in three adults has a high school diploma and less than 3% have a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Barrio Logan, the average family of four earns less than $25,000 a year. Panchito’s mom is single and has a 5th grade education. Despite this reality, Panchito has overcome many obstacles to become the first in his family to graduate high school and enroll in college with the goal of impacting his community in a positive way.
In the fourth grade, Panchito enrolled in Barrio Logan College Institute (BLCI), a nonprofit that helps students become the first in their family to attend and succeed in college. BLCI teaches students that a college education not only sets one up for economic opportunities, but can provide skills to improve communities. This concept captured Panchito’s imagination as the son of a well-respected community activist. …show more content…
EDLC teaches disadvantaged students to develop agency and be advocates for their community. Panchito is currently finishing his second year at SDSU with over a 3.8 cumulative GPA studying philosophy, sociology, and psychology, as well as working towards the Leadership Minor and the Honors Minor in Interdisciplinary