Salvador Limon ‘10 chose to dedicate his life to giving back after attending Cal. Like many students who receive a scholarship from The Achievement Award Program (TAAP), his story illustrates a TAAP scholar’s individual journey of overcoming obstacles through dedication and hard work.

Salvador was 5 years old when his family immigrated to the United States from Mexico and he grew up in East Los Angeles. “We left behind a life of poverty for one of opportunity,” he said. With opportunity came the unsavory influences often associated with inner-city life. “I was exposed to a lot of things at a very young age. In junior high school I drank alcohol and used drugs. I was always in trouble, yet somehow managed to constantly get good grades.”

Salvador’s outlook and drive improved by the time he attended Garfield High School. Thanks to his family and favorite teachers, he learned to trust and believe in himself. “The love at home far exceeded the false love street acquaintances offered, and the true friends were those who wanted me to get out of East Los Angeles, who wanted me to keep studying, to do good for myself.” During high school, Salvador became the president and vice president of two school clubs, volunteered at his church, and worked 35 hours per week to ease the financial burden on his father. His commitment to school and perseverance paid off. “As a result of my hard work and strong work ethic, I was accepted to UC Berkeley.”

For Salvador, TAAP was the reason he chose Cal. “If it were not for TAAP, I would not have chosen UC Berkeley. TAAP provided me with the money necessary to ensure that I focused on my studies,” he adds. TAAP, a Cal Alumni Association scholarship, not only provides assistance for high-achieving, low-income students, it also provides a family of support. Salvador attended TAAP workshops and seminars on professionalism, time management, and networking. These skills helped him with his current job, “TAAP helped me build a lot of skills necessary to get accepted to such a prestigious program as Teach For America.”

Today, Salvador is a teacher in the Crenshaw community of Los Angeles. He attributes his determination to give back to TAAP and the donors who make this scholarship possible. “TAAP helped me build the self-confidence necessary to be successful in life and give back to my community. Because of TAAP, I chose to dedicate my life to giving back. I encourage others to do the same.”

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