Meet your 2023 CLASS Valedictorian: Rocio Jazmin Padilla

The College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences is pleased to announce this year’s CLASS valedictorian and Julian A. McPhee Honor Award recipient, Rocio Jazmin Padilla. Rocio received her bachelor’s degree in Sociology this past May.

As a young, undocumented, Latina and English language learner, Rocio faced many obstacles throughout her academic journey prior to attending Cal Poly Pomona. “I learned to be strong and resilient…I was still learning the ropes of this country. Going to college with a newborn and being undocumented was intimidating.”

Padilla obtained a job as a medical biller and coder in a prestigious healthcare organization until her world stopped on April 30, 2013, after the tragic passing of her daughter. “I knew I would never be the same. I still had two surviving children and a husband to live for, so every day moving forward, I made the choice to live for them and become a better person rather than becoming bitter.”

With her family in mind, Rocio decided to pursue higher education to build a career path that allowed her the freedom to spend more time with her family. Padilla shared that Cal Poly Pomona was her top choice to earn her bachelor’s degree in Sociology and was thrilled to become a student in Fall 2021. “My overall experience at CPP has been more than I dreamed of. Cal Poly Pomona has helped me see myself as an educated Latina with the power to make a change in this world.”

This is just the beginning for Rocio as she plans to continue her academic journey by furthering her studies in graduate school to become a school counselor. To hear more from Rocio, check out the video above as she reflected on her time at Cal Poly Pomona.