DUCK ALUMNI CAREER BLOG

June 30, 2015

~ A "Letters from Silicon Valley" Series ~
 
Recently I participated in a UO multicultural conference for students and alumni about being of service, where I gave a talk entitled, “How to Start a Social Movement, Without Really Trying.” I met some great people who shared wonderful stories. James Chang, Director of the Duck Career Network, mentioned that someday I should tell the story of the Mexican boy who went to college and then on to a successful career in Silicon Valley. So here goes.
 


From the beginning…

The kid's parents were working class immigrants from the desert mountains of northern Mexico, and their formal education extended through the third grade. He grew up sleeping on the floor of a 600 sq. ft. house on a dirt road next to the train tracks in Ashland, Oregon. He didn't have toys or television but he did have an imagination and creeks and woods to play in. He didn't go to preschool or kindergarten because his parents didn't know they could send him. Despite initially being bullied in school for being different and not speaking English, he found that he loved learning, and classmates responded well to him being positive and friendly. 

His father was a laborer for the railroad, who was gone during the week fixing tracks all over southern Oregon and northern California. While his father was loving, he was also a strict disciplinarian. His mother suffered from schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder. The boy brought firewood in everyday so his mother could cook beans and tortillas on their wood stove. When he was 10, he got his first job delivering newspapers. When he was 11 his father died in a train accident and his mother was institutionalized for a time. So he went to live with his older sister. In the following years, they moved to Portland, then to Guatemala, and eventually to Florida where he finished high school. This time of transition was difficult. The boy would often become frustrated and enraged dealing with his mother, all the while missing his father. In the 10th grade he learned about existentialism and Buddhism and being responsible for his own life. This helped him to feel more in control and able to move forward. 

Si se puede

After the boy took the PSATs, he started receiving admissions brochures from universities in places like Palo Alto and Boston. He realized that, despite his family not having money or experience with higher education, he wanted to go to college to continue to learn. He thought of the Spanish saying “Si se puede” – “It can be done.” He worked and saved for school. He wanted to return to the state that he loved, so he returned to Oregon when he was accepted at the University of Oregon. 

The young man lived frugally and worked to pay his way through school. During freshman year he had trouble falling asleep, since he was stuck thinking about all that he had to do. One of his psychology professors reminded him of something his father had taught him, which was to mindfully practice focusing on the present and to plan out what he wanted to accomplish. This helped him sleep better and become more productive and cheerful. While at Oregon, in addition to studying, doing various jobs, and running a small business, he made many friends, met the woman he would marry, joined Phi Delta Theta fraternity, played lacrosse, and became captain of the sailing team. He enjoyed learning about all types of subjects, and he graduated with a degree in psychology.

Being appreciative and happy

He went on to graduate school and a successful career as an HR executive, coach, and organizational development & management consultant for several leading high-tech firms in Silicon Valley. He and his wife of more than 25 years enjoy living in northern California. Their two kids are in college, leaving their parents with two dogs in the house. He now works for a non-profit counseling and consulting firm serving many of the marquee organizations based in the San Francisco Bay Area, and he volunteers with local and national civic leadership, environmental, and service agencies. 

Growing up poor and then learning to mindfully live in the moment has helped “the kid” be appreciative and happy with his current life. He still enjoys playing outdoors and he is no longer bullied.

Make sure to say hello if you see a grey Prius with a window sticker with “Peace - Love – Oregon” symbols on it, especially if you're near Aquatic Park in San Francisco, where I train for my “Escape from Alcatraz” swims.

May you find peace, happiness, and much success in life.

~ Humberto aka Cisco Kid (as my college friends called me)


 Go Ducks!

Contact:
humberto@chacon.us