Fernando Becerra Cruz. Courtesy photo.
CAMARILLO — As a 20-year-old computer programmer, Fernando Becerra-Cruz knew he was not cut out to work in a factory, washing and stacking heavy plastic strawberry jam barrels at the rate of about 100 an hour.
“This was hard, physical labor I couldn’t keep up,” Becerra-Cruz said. But the recent immigrant from Mexico spoke no English and had no college degree, so he had no choice.
Then one day, the topmost barrel on a stack fell and smacked him in the head, throwing him to the ground.
Years later, Becerra-Cruz, now 27, looks toward graduation as one of CSU Channel Islands (CI)’s successful transfer students. As a student, he is already employed as a student assistant graphic designer in the Admissions office at CI, and hopes to continue to pursue his love of graphic art after graduating.
In the past, CI has enrolled more than 900 students with more than half of those students coming from Ventura County’s community colleges. This fall, CI plans to enroll a record number of 1,100 new transfer students.
Students seeking to attend CI as a transfer student beginning in spring of 2017, can apply from Aug. 1-31.
Many transfer students, like Becerra-Cruz, are non-traditional students with family obligations who are seeking a more fulfilling, higher-paying career.
Becerra-Cruz grew up in Mexico City with his mother and three brothers. His father was a factory worker in Oxnard who visited Mexico City regularly.
Becerra-Cruz’s youngest brother had special needs so his parents decided it would be best to immigrate to Oxnard to be with his father. The decision was cemented when Becerra-Cruz’s aunt was kidnapped and killed during a carjacking near their Mexico City home.
The family earned legal residency in 2004, but Becerra-Cruz stayed in Mexico City to finish high school, worked as a computer programmer for a while, and then joined his family in 2009.
After the factory accident, Becerra-Cruz decided to change his life. Always shy, the soft-spoken Becerra-Cruz vowed to do whatever it took to get an education here in the U.S.
“I went to Oxnard College with my broken English and they started to speak to me in Spanish,” he said. “They told me all the help that they can give me with financial aid. It gave me hope.”
Becerra-Cruz spent two years just studying English. He became an honors student, then took another two years at Oxnard College and earned his associate degree in Arts & Humanities, then transferred to CI.
Now in the last semester of his senior year, Becerra-Cruz will complete his degree at the end of the fall semester with a bachelor’s degree in Art and will participate in Commencement in spring of 2017. He specializes in graphic design and social media.
As the eldest brother, Becerra-Cruz has worked to be a good example to his younger brothers. One brother is attending Ventura College with plans to transfer to the University of California, Santa Barbara to study engineering and another is attending Oxnard College, also with plans to become a transfer student.
“I’m the one who pushed them to go to college. I sent my mom to college as well,” he said, adding that she studied child development.
In order to apply as a transfer student, you must have completed enough community college credits to attend CI as a junior. For more information regarding admissions and to apply, visit http://www.csuci.edu/admissions/transfer/.
About California State University Channel Islands: CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more about CI by visiting CI’s Social Media.