Jorge Campos’s inspiring message: “It’s not where you are that matters, but where you want to be.”
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California resident Jorge Campos, whose family was homeless for six months after his father lost his job, will attend Harvard University in the fall on a full-ride scholarship. His inspiring story is a reminder that no matter how tough things can get, there is always hope.
When Campos was 13 years old, he father lost his job as an auto technician and the family of six had to live out of a van, in hotels, and in the homes of relatives.
“Right now, I look back and instead of breaking down and crying like I should, because they were quite traumatic experiences, I just look at it … and move forward,” Campos, who now lives with his family in Palmdale, California, told KTLA.
In spite of his family’s difficulties, Campos continued to work hard in school, and enrolled in college level classes at Los Angeles Community College as part of USC TRIO Upward Bound, a program aimed at helping low-income students succeed and go to college.
The uncertainty he faced when his father lost his job even inspired Campos to learn about finances.
KTLA reported that he helped his parents purchase their own home two years ago.
“I took on the budget. I took on all their finances. All the bills that are paid at home run through me,” Campos told KTLA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQVoB1-paL8
Campos plans to study economics at Harvard, and later hopes to get a master’s degree in public policy.
His message to those going through difficult times:
“Always keep in mind where you’re going, right? Because it’s not where you are that matters, but where you want to be,” he said.
