Born in the United States but raised in Mexico for 15 years, Octavio Jimenez studied
English as a second language on his way to earning his diploma at Soledad High School
in 2015.
His experience in Soledad’s Naval Junior ROTC program made him consider joining the military, but he opted instead to enroll at Hartnell College. He is the son of Maria Piedad Veronica.
Now Jimenez is preparing to major in mechanical engineering at Sacramento State University. He is graduating from Hartnell on May 29, Magna Cum Laude, with associate degrees in engineering, physics and mathematics.
The demands of math and physics turned him into a full-time student, assisted by Hartnell’s Extended Opportunity Program & Services. Known as EOPS, the program helps socioeconomically disadvantaged students with textbooks and other expenses, along with specialized counseling and transfer guidance.
“The program has supported students financially, giving us money to purchase books,” Jimenez said. “I have been saving my financial aid so, once I transfer, I can use money from my financial aid at the university, instead of Hartnell.”
Although he dropped two outside jobs, Jimenez has worked part-time for the past four years in the Hartnell counseling office, helping fellow students navigate the process he went through.
Jimenez also has been a part of MESA (Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement) program and TRiO, both of which are designed to serve first-generation learners like him. He also completed a Hartnell STEM internship in 2019, focused on cosmic ray detection and analysis.
His initial plan was to study accounting, but as a non-native English speaker, he found a special calling in the universal language of math and the related field of engineering.
“When I started speaking with the counselors, taking Counseling 1, they noticed that my English wasn’t really that good, and they saw that I had more interest in mathematics,” Jimenez said.
“They talked to me about the majors and let me know about the different areas of engineering – civil, electrical, mechanical, aerospace and industrial. I got interested in mechanical and started taking my calculus classes and started taking my chemistry and physics, which made me more interested to know exactly how things work.”
His 16-year-old sister will soon become a Hartnell student, with his encouragement.
“I had a really good experience at Hartnell,” Jimenez said. “Besides being a student, I learned a lot being a student worker because I got to know a lot of faculty and how to help other students.”
Although challenged by many of his STEM classes, he said he is grateful for the patience and generosity of instructors such as Jim Butler and Jim Riley in mathematics, Dr. Ann Wright for biology and Dr. Melissa Hornstein in physics and engineering.
“I have been in a good relationship with my professors,” he said. “During their office hours or after class, they have been very helpful.”