Rita Naranjo

School Relations/Diversity Outreach Assistant

Rita Naranjo is no stranger to adversity.  The middle child of nine, she spent most of her childhood in and out of foster homes before becoming pregnant at age 15.  After her daughter’s birth, Rita says she realized that she needed to obtain an education in order to build a better life for herself and her family. 

When she was 16, Rita enrolled at a local continuation high school and simultaneously began taking classes at MiraCosta College. She excelled at school, graduating from high school one year early and then enrolling full-time at MiraCosta.

“Getting a better education was a means of survival,” she explains.  “I didn’t want to be poor forever. I knew that a higher education is a way out of poverty.”

Being a former foster child, Rita found that she was eligible for a number of different types of financial aid and scholarships. “What was once a curse became a blessing in some ways,” she says.  Despite receiving some financial help to attend college, Rita says she still struggled to make ends meet, especially after the birth of her second child. 

“I’ve made financial sacrifices so that I can go to school,” she says.  “But, I decided that I would stick with it for my children.  Everything I’ve done has been with them in mind.”

Despite the challenges of raising a family as a single mother, Rita studied hard, earned an associate’s degree and transferred to SDSU, where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in social work. 

Rita is now working toward her master’s degree in social work with an emphasis on community organization.  Two years ago, she returned to MiraCosta after being hired as the college’s relations and diversity outreach assistant.  Rita works with MiraCosta’s student ambassadors, who do everything from peer advising to representing the college throughout the community.

“Having gone to school here and now working here, MiraCosta is like my second home,” she says.  “People at MiraCosta are so warm and friendly.  I always feel welcome here.”

In her free time, Rita works as a foster care activist and shares her own life story and passion for education to all who will listen.

“I tell people, regardless of where we come from, or if we’ve had struggles, education is something that is attainable. We should not allow poverty to be a barrier to pursuing higher education.”