Juan Venegas grew up in a low-income neighborhood in San José, California, and started working at age 14 to help his single mother make ends meet. Learning disabilities made reading difficult, while affirming his identity in high school brought its own set of emotional and psychological challenges. Through it all, Juan confronted his problems head-on and graduated as one of the top students in his class.

His perseverance paid off when Juan was accepted to California State University, Dominguez Hills, where he is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

When devastating flooding hit San José in 2017, Juan started a toiletry drive to help those affected. He also mobilized his community to support victims of the 2017 Mexico earthquake. Due to his inspirational work, Juan received his high school’s humanitarian award.

After graduating from CSU Dominguez Hills, Juan plans to continue his education. His ultimate goal is to teach future generations to embrace who they are and where they come from​.