HOUSTON – At the age of 14, Lone Star College-University Park student Andrea Luna Gonzalez, together with her father and stepmother, departed El Salvador for Houston, Texas. Their destination was a certainty, yet the plans for her education were unclear. 

"This is all for you, my daughter," said her mother, as Luna Gonzalez left the only home she knew. These same words would be repeated in her head time and again – when she felt like quitting and returning to El Salvador, when she was overwhelmed by the English language, or when she dealt with the pangs of isolation. Her mother's affirmation restored their shared dream of higher education. 

Years after coming to the U.S., Luna Gonzalez is finding success as a first-year student at LSC-University Park and as a scholarship winner of the Lone Star College Foundation Annual Chancellor's Breakfast Essay Contest. 

In her essay, she details the help and support she has received from LSC-University Park.

"The staff, advisors and professors at LSC-University Park have been loving and caring," said  Luna Gonzalez. "The professors here actually care for their students and their success, making LSC-University Park a unique and exciting place to study.”

Luna Gonzalez thanks Jennifer Anderson, an LSC-University Park English professor, for her encouragement to enter the essay contest and share her narrative of life experiences before and after entering college. 

“Dedication is the hallmark of our faculty and staff, and this extends to all of our students,” said LSC-University Park President Dr. Shah Ardalan. “We are proud to support Luna Gonzalez and students like her with the educational and financial resources they need. Our faculty and staff take student success to heart and work to ensure our students have every tool imaginable to realize their individual goals and dreams.” 

Through her essay, Luna Gonzalez was eager to revisit the obstacles and triumphs that peppered her story for six years. It was an opportunity to fulfill her promise to "give back" to her mother, father and stepmom for all the sacrifices they had made to date to ensure her path to higher education.

When she first came to the U.S., Luna Gonzalez started middle school in the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District. The first couple of years were particularly challenging as she grappled with the English language. While still in the eighth grade, she connected with a teacher who directed her to English for Speakers of Other Languages, which provided her with the breakthrough she needed. From that time forward, she gained more confidence in English and her ability to communicate.

Luna Gonzalez graduated high school from Cypress-Fairbanks ISD in 2020, and began her first year at LSC-University Park this past fall. In addition to receiving a $1,000 scholarship for her essay, she would normally attend the Chancellor's breakfast and read her essay on "How My Lone Star College Experience has Influenced my Life." Due to the COVID-19 pandemic this year, the event will be held virtually and videos of students reading their winning essays will be published online.

Luna Gonzalez is also a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, the world's preeminent honor society among community colleges. She is the first person in her family to attend college. Luna Gonzalez has no doubts about her ability to do well in all five of her courses this semester. She loves LSC-University Park and appreciates the affordability of classes and the flexibility of her schedule. 

“LSC-University Park has offered me a variety of resources to make my college experience fun and affordable," said Luna Gonzalez. “I am glad to have chosen to be a part of LSC-University Park to help me accomplish my goals.”

She plans to graduate in 2023 with an associate degree in business and then transfer to the University of Texas at Arlington to study business administration.

Upon graduation, the one thing she looks forward to most is saying to her family, "This is all because of you, my family."