From the OC Register:
Despite growing up in a low-income family and gang-ridden neighborhood, Felipe Hernandez will leave UC Irvine debt free with degrees in political science and music performance and a competitive internship at the White House. “When I came to college, I vowed that my parents would never pay anything for my education,” said Hernandez, who secured financial aid and numerous scholarships. “It took a lot of work, but it was worth it.” The graduating senior has worked hard to earn his college diploma and maintain a 3.86 GPA. The first in his family to graduate, he will serve as the student commencement speaker for the UCI School of Social Sciences on June 15. “He’s like a sponge,” said Rudy Santacruz, assistant director of a student-development scholarship program at UCI and a mentor to Hernandez. “He wants to absorb as much as possible. His enthusiasm and energy had made him a positive role model for so many students. I know he will continue to much bigger and better things.” Hernandez, 23, recently left for Washington, D.C., to work on the White House’s Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics through the Truman Scholarship Foundation.

For the full story, please visit http://www.ocregister.com/articles/hernandez-511303-school-students.html.