​​Jesus Ochoa Perez lived with his parents and three siblings in one room during part of his childhood, leaving him no quiet place to study. His parents, who were farmworkers from Mexico, determined that their children would not face the financial hardships and the physical ills of working in the fields.

Today, Jesus is starting his second year at California State University, Monterey Bay, where he is a math major with a 4.0 GPA. A service learning requirement led him to an elementary school where he tutored first-graders in math–and discovered his passion for teaching. He volunteered far more than the number of hours required and continues to tutor elementary school students. He also found time to coach youth soccer as a volunteer.

Jesus is determined to be a success story from his East Salinas neighborhood by earning a teaching credential and returning to his high school to teach math.