​​A native of the Philippines, John Michael Vincent P. Coralde felt the struggles of poverty and hunger very deeply. He saw education as a path out of his family's destitution. At age fourteen, he moved with his brothers to the United States, but new struggles emerged as he tried to understand the American culture and learn English on his own.

Today, John is a senior on the dean's list at Sonoma State University majoring in kinesiology with a minor in biology. His early struggles fueled an intense drive to move out of poverty, and he has chosen to become an active leader on campus. He has served as a guide in programs ranging from summer orientation to peer advising and community service advisor. Always remembering the pain of hunger, he often takes time to help the hungry and homeless while working three jobs and taking nineteen units.

​John plans to continue his education by earning a master's in public health with an emphasis in epidemiology. He wants to return to the Philippines to help his people.