“As a young student, I didn’t really understand the importance of what GEAR UP was doing at the time,” he said. “As an undocumented immigrant student, I was not sure I could even go to college.”
Trujillo-Velazquez looked back on his initial thoughts on the K20 Center with the honesty and innocence he possessed at the time.
“I knew that they took us to visit a lot of colleges, and what kid doesn’t like missing class to go on field trips?”
That desire to immerse himself and learn took hold. With that, Trujillo-Velazquez’s legacy within the program began to bloom.
The turning point came during the Oklahoma Promise event during his 7th grade year. This night answered many of his questions and gave him a path to an opportunistic future.
“With so many doors closed to me in terms of financial aid, I wasn’t even sure if going to an Oklahoma’s Promise night would be worth my time,” Trujillo-Velazquez said. “When I attended the event, I learned that it might be possible for me to receive the scholarship if I was in the process of obtaining my permanent resident status.”
With this new information and call to action, he set his sights on a new frontier.
The young student entered high school at U.S. Grant in Oklahoma City with new goals on his mind. With the help of GEAR UP site facilitators and his desire to learn, Trujillo-Velazquez finished high school as the top male student in his graduating class. This distinction earned him the nickname, “The General.”
In addition to respect-demanding nicknames, he gained critical knowledge through the GEAR UP program to help him on his path.
“I was able to receive the Aspiring Americans, President’s Leadership Council, and Henderson scholarships to help me begin my college journey,” he said. “At times, other students wondered how I knew specific steps to take to prepare and get into college. Neither of my parents went to college, but the events and college tours with GEAR UP prepared me for the process.”
Resources earned and learned from the GEAR UP program helped encourage Trujillo-Velazquez to further involve himself in his community. He served as the Junior Chapter Chair and Vice President of Outreach for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. He has also served as a Mentor for the Dean’s Leadership Council for the Gallogly College of Engineering.
“As an OU student, I was able to provide tutoring and mentoring to other students from my community with similar circumstances,” he said.
Now, Trujillo-Velazquez is eyeing his degree completion at OU in the field of Industrial and Systems Engineering – something that he thought was not realistic at one point in his life. Thanks to the K20 Center and his determination, he will complete his dream.
“I am grateful for this opportunity to share the impact that the GEAR UP program has had on me and so many of my classmates,” Trujillo-Velazquez said. “As I got older, I truly recognize the value of the services GEAR UP had to offer me and others.”
Learn more about the K20 Center’s GEAR UP partnerships here.
