Jonathan Burgos knows what it’s like to navigate young adult life as a first-generation college student — figuring out the process, needing help to learn and acquire new skills, feeling unsure that he even belonged. Fortunately, he had friends who stepped in to help him out, which is similar to the kind of help he’s been working to give local students.
“I founded First Gen Scholars in 2019 to address the college acceptance, retention, and graduation rates of the most underserved San Diego communities,” he says. “My goal is to help as many scholars as possible have thriving careers.”
While working at Hoover High School, his favorite part of the job was supporting students through their senior year, from college applications and scholarships, to celebrating acceptances and helping them understand financial aid packages. Once one group was on their way, he would connect with a new group of freshmen and see them through to their senior year. Unfortunately, a lot of students either didn’t graduate, or graduated but ended up in minimum-wage jobs unrelated to their degrees in order to help their families. “Seeing this happen took its toll on me, as our community deserved more support to help these amazing young leaders get to the finish line,” he says.
Burgos, 48, is executive director of his nonprofit and lives in San Ysidro with his wife, Laurie, and their children, Theo and Penny. He took some time to talk about the students who participate in the program and their achievements, his own college experience, and the kind of food truck he would run if he had the time.
Q: Why was starting this organization something you wanted to do?
A: I didn’t know, initially, if this was the path my life would take, but I am glad it did. We have served more than 1,000 first-generation, low-income students. Our scholars have achieved remarkable success in securing scholarships, with eight out of 10 on track to graduate with no debt. The total scholarship earnings for our scholars exceeds $25 million, with each student averaging $42,500 in scholarships. It’s not just the quantity, but also the quality of scholarships that sets them apart. Over the last three years, we’ve celebrated 12 Gates Scholarship winners, five Jack Kent Cooke selections, four Coca-Cola Scholars, and over 50 Dell Scholarship recipients.
Since our inception, program participants have consistently demonstrated outstanding college acceptance rates. The statewide average admission rate for University of California schools is 65 percent, but for First Gen Scholars, it soars to 96 percent with 117 of our students attending UC institutions this fall. Additionally, we’ve seen significant growth in private schools, with 29 scholars from the class of 2023 enrolling in highly selective private schools, nearly two-and-a-half times the previous year. Looking ahead to the class of 2024, we currently support more than 300 students directly, and our impact extends further through 21 First Gen Scholars clubs [at local schools] and their members. We reach more than 1,000 students across San Diego County, cultivating a college-going culture at their respective campuses. I didn’t know my life would take me here, but my commitment to empowering first-generation students and reducing the financial barriers to higher education remains unwavering.
What I love about San Ysidro…
When my wife and I decided to live in San Ysidro, it was initially because of affordability. Now that we live and work here, I deeply appreciate the people and community. I have students who cross the border daily and have never been late to school, sometimes waking up before sunrise and returning home after sunset. We have a neighborhood where we check in with one another. Finally, the birria at Ed Fernandez and the sandwiches at Beyer Deli cannot be beaten.
Q: Can you talk about what your own college journey was like?
A: Like many Filipinos of my generation, our family arrived to the U.S. through my dad joining the Navy. My mom was a teacher, but her degree was not accepted here, so she had to work at a dollar store. This meant I was a first-generation college student. While applying to college in 1992 was a different experience (using a typewriter and mailing in the application), my experience as a first-generation student is similar to our scholars in many ways. I was good at taking tests, but I had horrible study skills, and my first quarter in UC San Diego was the first time I received any failing grades. After receiving that letter that I was put on academic probation, I lost my scholarship and was in danger of dropping out of college. I started to question my abilities and if I even deserved to be in college in the first place. They have a term for that now, “imposter syndrome,” but I was going through that in real-time and I felt so ashamed that I couldn’t talk to my family about any of it. Thank goodness my dormmates knew something was up, and they helped me by doing work together, forming study groups, and telling me to put the video game system away. It was humbling to admit I needed a lot of help academically and emotionally, but I would not be where I am today without their help.
Q: What do you wish you had known/had available to you that would have been helpful during that time?
A: I wish I had known that I was not alone in the situation and that almost half of the students I went to school with were also first-generation. That is why First Gen Scholars is community-focused and youth-centered. Our engagement with the community is driven by our scholars, who play a pivotal role in expanding our impact. They actively share this information with their peers as they gain insights into the college application process. This peer-to-peer support system spreads valuable information and fosters a sense of empowerment. An example of this is our First Gen Clubs. One of our scholars requested permission to start a First Gen Club at Southwest High. This idea quickly resonated, leading to the establishment of clubs at Canyon Hills, Crawford, San Diego High, Patrick Henry, University City, and Montgomery. Today, we support 21 school clubs from the border to Valley Center. These clubs, connected through our online First Gen Council, collaborate, share strategies, celebrate achievements, and collectively find solutions. Our approach underscores the agency and leadership of our scholars, actively involving them in shaping our initiatives and extending our outreach to benefit the broader community.
Q: First Gen Scholars is hosting its annual college fair from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. today at the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation. Are there ways that this fair is different compared to what many of us might remember of the college fairs we attended?
A: The First Gen College Fair is unique because our scholars created it to support other first-gens in the community. For the last few months, our students have been meeting weekly online, divided into committees, and helped spread the word to have as many students register as possible. They were intentional on inviting local colleges, as well as having colleges outside of San Diego that offer full-rides to low-income students.
Upon arriving at the college fair, participants will receive a brochure that lists all of the colleges and samples of suggested questions to ask the admissions officers. We want participants to have face-to-face time with admissions reps who have a hand in the actual decisions for students from our region. While they may not come out with actual acceptances, it is more important for a student to have a deeper understanding of schools that may not have been on their radar. We hope to normalize developing interest and understanding about colleges for all of our first-gens, so that a freshman who is just a participant this year will be planning the college fair in their senior year.
Q: What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
A: Five words: “It’s okay to let go.” When I lost my grandmother, when our flower shop was on the verge of bankruptcy, and when I left my dream job to start my nonprofit, my partner, Laurie, helped me through it all by reminding me to give myself grace and that she was there for me.
Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?
A: If I didn’t have a nonprofit, I would want to have a fried rice-themed food truck.
Q: Please describe your ideal San Diego weekend.
A: Saturday would be for a walk around Chollas Lake in the morning, having a picnic at the La Jolla Gliderpoint, then an afternoon nap before we check out a Padres Game. Sunday would be an early breakfast at Great Maple, hanging out in Imperial Beach (with a City Taco/Hess Brewery run in the middle), then an afternoon in Balboa Park (at the Zoo or the Japanese Friendship Garden), then some mango sticky rice ice cream from Stella Jean’s.