Sacramento student immigrated from Mexico four years ago. Now he has a full ride scholarship
Emilio Madrigal Mendoza is a standout student, well-rounded athlete and leader among his peers in the Sacramento region. But not so long, he had no grasp of the English language, struggled to make friends and lamented his move to the United States.
“That’s what helped me to be who I am today,” said Madrigal Mendoza, who will graduate from San Juan High School later this month. “It helped me to know myself better.”
Madrigal Mendoza, 17, grew up in Coalcomán de Vázquez Pallares, a town of roughly 11,000 people in the Mexican state of Michoacán. In mid-2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, fears of drug cartels forced Madrigal Mendoza and his family to move elsewhere.
The family immigrated to Sacramento, where Madrigal Mendoza faced a host of challenges. Zoom classes made it difficult to form friendships, and English was an entirely new language.
These hurdles did not slow him down.
His parents emphasized school, which led Madrigal Mendoza to quickly pick up English, work his way up to a 4.3 GPA and even take classes at American River College. Along the way, he joined multiple clubs, juggled a part-time job and played on the school’s football and soccer teams.
“The idea of failing is just not in his vocabulary,” Sqy Ferguson, a school counselor who has known Madrigal Mendoza for two years.
Madrigal Mendoza also serves on his school district’s Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council, a committee of student leaders. He said the position allows him to represent student minorities, including first-generation Latinos who may not be aware of available opportunities.
Ferguson said Madrigal Mendoza is admired across the campus by students and teachers.
“It’s not often you see a kid who’s got high academic accolades, on the sports teams and, then when he’s not in the room, people still speak highly of them,” Ferguson said.
This fall, Madrigal Mendoza will attend Duke University on a full four-year scholarship. He plans to major in computer science and hopes to become a software developer at a major company such as Google or Microsoft.
He remains committed to his roots and expects to give back to his community across his career.
“I’m not going to neglect the fact that I’m Mexican, and I never plan to do that,” Madrigal Mendoza said.
Ojo: English learners constitute 19% of the total enrollment in California public schools.
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