From Average to Honors: Reflections by Carlos Jiménez Flores

(published 2004 in the book, What Makes Racial Diversity Work in Higher Education)

The family I was born into did not expect much from me academically. My father dropped out of school after the third grade. His father, in order to work and bring his share of money into the family, took him out of school. My mother did not enter school until a late age and graduated from high school at the age of twenty. All that was expected of me was a high school diploma.

Circumstances broke my family apart and I found myself alone in Chicago. My situation opened the door for me to connect with another family. This new family embraced me as one of their own. Their standards were much different than my previous family. They valued education. The people I was now looking up to as parental figures both had earned doctorates. Thus, the expectations of me were different. They were higher academically.

I was dissatisfied with the status quo. Being a part of this family opened my eyes to a middle-class world. Behaviors were different. Interactions were different. I was coming from a lower-class experience. I realized at that point that an education would be the way for me to make the transition from one class to the other.

I did not want to disappoint those who were now investing in me, so when I enrolled in a community college, I took being there very seriously. I knew I had to excel in order to succeed. My mentors could not stress enough how important it was to read. They provided me with the educational tools. All I had to do was apply them.

And apply them I did. I began noticing the difference between memorizing material just before class or the night before so you can pass an exam and learning the material by reading ahead of time, taking notes, highlighting important points, and studying them. My grades started to reflect this newfound understanding. Not long after, I began receiving invitations to join Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society of two-year colleges.

The more I studied, the more I learned. The more I learned, the more I wanted to learn. I felt different. College was giving me a confidence I did not have before. I was proud of my grades, not because they were given to me but because I had earned them. I now viewed school as a place that can satisfy my hunger for knowledge.

I was seeing school in a different light. School used to be a negative for me growing up. I felt disconnected. I felt as if I was intruding in a place to which I did not belong. I was lost. School was not fun. Now, I could not imagine existing without school. School was now a positive.

I enjoy going to class. I utilize the syllabus to do assignments and projects ahead of time. I read all materials before class so that I can engage in class discussions and ask questions about what I did not understand. When I read, I highlight the important points. I take notes in class. I even highlight the important points in my notes. In the beginning of each semester, I trade phone numbers and e-mails with a couple of classmates in each class in order to create a study group. All these things are crucial to my success.

The rewards for being an honors student are many. I have received invitations and scholarships to attend universities across the United States. Being a member of Phi Theta Kappa has assisted me financially. I am also on the National Dean's List. My academic achievements have given me new incentives, motivation, and desire, which will ensure my success at the next level.