Gloria Zarate

Gloria Zarate moved to California from Oaxaca, Mexico in 1993.  After graduating from high school, Gloria continued to improve her English skills by enrolling in English as a Second Language (ESL) classes at MiraCosta College, where she fulfilled her life-long dream of attending college. 

“Honestly, I learned very little English in high school,” Gloria explains.  “So, I came to MiraCosta to improve my English skills.  However, I ended up getting involved in the Puente Program and before I knew it, I was on my way to a four-year university.”

Puente is a MiraCosta program that provides support for students and helps them to build confidence in their writing skills, explore career options, develop an academic educational plan and identify lifetime goals.

“I really couldn’t have made it without the help of the people in Puente,” shares Gloria.  “I really enjoyed MiraCosta and especially appreciated all the help I got from the counselors and from the people in the Puente program.  They gave me emotional support and academic guidance when I needed it the most.  In fact, I still keep in touch with many of them.”

Gloria is now attending San Diego State University, where she will earn a Bachelor of Science degree.   Although Gloria must work while attending school full-time, she manages to maintain a high grade point average.  She has also been accepted into the Minority Biomedical Research Support Program, a program funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences that is designed to improve the academic and research capabilities of underrepresented minority students and to facilitate their progress toward careers in biomedical research.

Gloria will graduate from SDSU in fall 2007 with a B.S. in chemistry and plans to pursue a Ph.D. in pharmacology. 

Additional information about Puente can be found on the Puente web site.