This story is part of a series of profiles the Ventura County Office of Education is presenting about outstanding graduating seniors in the Class of 2022.
 

When schools were closed due to the pandemic, Alex Loza decided to make good use of the extra time he had on his hands. He got a job delivering meals to the elderly and remembers how some of the recipients were so grateful they were brought to tears. “That really made me feel good about myself,” he says. “It made me realize the good I was doing in my community.” Alex says he’s inspired to give back because of the opportunities he’s had as the son of a single mom who immigrated from Mexico. It’s an experience he calls his “beautiful journey.” 

Alex started the second grade speaking only Spanish, but he quickly learned English thanks to a very caring uncle. “Every weekend, we would ride our bikes to Barnes and Noble,” he recalls. “He would show me the little kids’ books in English, and he would read them to me. And that’s how, little by little, I started getting comfortable both reading and speaking in English.” His uncle took it a step further by bringing his young nephew along to the adult education classes he attended. “So, I would be this little kid surrounded by adults listening to what the teacher had to say.”

Alex will be graduating from Foothill Technology High School, a magnet school in Ventura where students are admitted through a lottery system. Initially, he didn’t want to go there, but his mom insisted. He now says it was the best decision ever. “It’s the best four years I’ve ever had in my short life,” he says. Alex got involved in student government, played on the soccer team, and participated in a wide range of activities. “Every time a parent asks me if their kids should go here, I tell them it’s an amazing school. The teachers and all the activities are just great.”

This fall, Alex will be attending Cal Lutheran where he’ll major in criminal justice and play for the university’s soccer team. He hopes to find a career related to law enforcement or criminal justice as his beautiful journey through life moves to the next stage.
 

More Inspiring Stories about the Ventura County Class of 2022