Growing up, Jose Patino spent a lot of time with his dad on construction sites, shadowing and observing as projects slowly came together, piece by piece. He didn’t know it at the time, but he was laying a foundation and vision for his own future.
Working alongside his dad sparked an early interest in engineering and design. “Working with him, I would learn so much; he had so much to teach me. It made me really interested in the field,“ he says of making something that lasts and impacts people. “I really want to work on big projects, everything from roads to skyscrapers, you see their work all around, it’s something so tangible that helps people and makes me really excited.”
Now, as he prepares to graduate from Pearce High School, Jose is headed to his dream school, the University of Texas at Austin, where he will attend, fully funded through scholarships. He plans to major in civil engineering and hopes to one day open a firm of his own.
His determination and willingness to step out of his comfort zone really began to show in the last couple of years, through his experiences in AVID, an academic system dedicated to closing the opportunity gap so all students are prepared and ready for college and career. “I never really thought about what school I wanted to go to until Junior year. AVID really put into my mind how close I was and thinking about the next step in my life,” says Jose.
Jose applied to 12 colleges and was accepted into every one of them – an incredible accomplishment for any student, but especially as a first-generation college student navigating the process largely through the support of teachers, mentors, and peers. “My parents didn’t finish high school, and I didn’t really know how much being in things like dual credit, onRamps, and AVID would benefit me. Learning from people like Ms. Gandy and friends in AVID really inspired me. I’ve made friends I know I will keep for life. Everyone in AVID has that final goal in mind; it has been a real community.”
As a Dell Semi-Finalist, Hagan Finalist, and the recipient of several scholarships, those closest to Jose say his character stands out just as much as his achievements. His AVID teacher Ms. Gandy says, “Jose is the most respectful, responsible brother, son, student, and friend. He sets the best example.”
For Jose, his motivation was never just about himself. As a child of immigrants who came to the US from Mexico when they were around his age in search of opportunity, he says his motivation comes from wanting to honor their sacrifices. He says his motivation is, “Making my parents proud. They set high expectations for me, but they didn’t push me too hard. They’ve given me their full trust, so I feel like it was up to me to really make them proud, and it motivates me to keep those high expectations for myself.”
Jose is also involved in Starting Off Strong (SOS), the Senior-Freshman mentoring program at Pearce, where hand-selected seniors teach classes as a way to lead their younger classmates and navigate the transition to high school. His SOS sponsor and On Ramps PreCal teacher, Anna Saleh says, “Jose lives his life with intentionality. He has a willingness to push himself out of his comfort zone, and he has shown so much growth while also having fun creating meaningful relationships with new people. His warmth and approachability are so powerful.”
One of his AVID and SOS classmates, Vincent, will also attend UT in the fall, and the two will be rooming together, something Jose says makes the next chapter even more exciting.
Jose’s story is one of intention, focus, and dreaming big beyond what he thought was possible. Congratulations, we can’t wait to see where you go as you build your future.
