Alondra Hernandez has many interests and ambitions, so it’s no surprise that she graduated from SBCC in 2024 with multiple degrees in hand – in science and mathematics, social and behavioral sciences, and economics. She was an SBCC Promise student for two years, having started full-time in 2022 after taking dual enrollment classes while attending San Marcos High School.
“I couldn’t even begin to name all of the classes I’ve taken – music, film, sociology, American sign language, you name it. It’s all because of the SBCC Promise,” Alondra said. “There’s no other opportunity quite like this for someone like myself, a first-generation and low-income college student, to freely explore their interests. For two years with costs covered at SBCC, I was able to learn whatever I wanted, from professors who genuinely cared about my education.”
Alondra loves business, film production, financial planning, and music. She is traveling to Paris, France to study business management during the summer after graduation, and is very excited for the opportunity. In the fall she will transfer to USC as a business administration major with an emphasis on finance and a minor in songwriting.
Speaking to guests at the SBCC Foundation’s Spring Forward! Gala in May 2024, Alondra said, “I feel lucky – for my health, friends, and family, but also lucky for all the bonuses I receive. It’s unclear why somebody like me would have the opportunities that I do, or how I was chosen to live the life that I do.
“Realistically, I should’ve grown up in Mexico, worked since childhood at the swap meets, most likely had my own family by now, and still be in poverty. But I didn’t. The only reason I didn’t is because I’ve had people like my parents and people in this room who have fought for me my entire life, even when I felt like not fighting.”
She explained that her father, who immigrated to the U.S. when he was 16 years old, had a drive to succeed, overcame many obstacles, and enrolled at SBCC. She followed in his footsteps nearly 30 years later.
While at SBCC, Alondra served as a leading intern for Bank of America and built a garden. At the gala she said, “You’re probably wondering what finance and yellow lantanas have in common. Actually, quite a lot. In both cases, you have to plant the seeds to see your investments flourish. That’s how I think the SBCC Promise has helped me and thousands of other students. Yes, luck is true, but other times, we’re only lucky thanks to the people who invest and believe in us.”
