When Sebastian’s family fled Venezuela’s economic collapse five years ago, they left behind not just jobs and belongings, but also a sense of stability.
His mother had been a journalism professor and his father a university law professor and judge. But as the country became unsafe and inflation spiraled, the family was forced to start over – landing in the United States during the pandemic.
His family found a temporary home with his aunt, her son, boyfriend and dog. He squeezed into a room with his younger brother and sister.
“I didn’t speak any English,” Sebastian said. “It was the pandemic, so my middle school classes were online, and I felt really isolated. I didn’t know anyone, and I wasn’t doing anything. It was a really difficult time for me.”
Starting high school in person didn’t make things easier. Speaking only Spanish, he was required to write graded essays in English and failed. But he used that challenge to push forward, attending summer school, working on his English and setting a goal: never let his grades slip again.
That determination has defined his journey.
A turning point came when his family moved in 2023 into National CORE’s new Mountain View affordable housing community in Lake Forest, which receives services from the Hope through Housing Foundation. Sebastian finally had the environment to thrive.
He poured his energy into service and leadership – winning an election to be the ASB Commissioner of Arts and Clubs, mentoring classmates with language challenges like his own and volunteering at school and in his community. He tutored peers who were failing and took part in school blood drives. As part of his high school’s dual immersion program, he found a pathway that allowed him to use his Spanish skills in class while he improved his English.
In May, Sebastian was chosen as one of 33 recipients of the 2025 Building Bright Futures Scholarship, awarded by Hope through Housing to promising young students and adult learners.
Now 17 and preparing for graduation, Sebastian is enrolled at Irvine Valley College, where he will pursue a new passion: sports business.
“I love analyzing sports and I took five online business classes at Saddleback College last year, and I did really well. I realized I can combine those interests.”
He works part time at HomeGoods and will add a second job this summer, but said the Hope through Housing scholarship will make a big difference.
“My parents are highly educated but work low-wage jobs here. My dad works in a warehouse; my mom is in school attendance. This scholarship means I can focus on school without worrying how I’ll afford basic things like textbooks or a laptop.”
Sebastian’s ambitions go far beyond the classroom.
“I want to help others the way so many have helped me,” he said. “I want to build bridges between cultures and support people who feel left out.”
For his two younger siblings, he’s already setting an example.
“They’re going to have it a little easier,” he said. “They’ll grow up knowing how the system works here. I want to make sure they believe they can succeed – and that they know they belong.”