Who was your favorite instructor(s) and why?

Two of my favorite instructors were Mr. Hernandez (Philosophy) and Mr. Alvarez (Math). I really enjoyed taking these professors for multiple reasons. The way they taught their material made it enjoyable to learn, they find ways to get the class involved and relate the material to the students. They're both very understanding professors, and just overall great guys. Also, (although they're not professors) Dr. Rodriguez in the counseling center and Carmen Velasquez were a huge help to me throughout my time at the school; great friends and mentors.

Joseph Gallardo (left) with former teammate Eddy Garza.

What are you doing now, and what are your future plans?

I am currently taking 12 total hours of summer school at UT Austin aiming for a straight A summer. My plans for the future are to get my bachelor's degree from UT in Sports Management with a minor in business. If I don't feel completely burnt out of school when that happens I would love to pursue my Master's degree at another great university.

Looking back, how did PAC make a difference in your life?

Palo Alto literally changed my life. There might have been no college in the US that would have taken me based on my high school transcripts. I bounced around 5 different high schools, dropped out my entire sophomore year, and it took me 6 years to just to graduate on the "minimum plan". If our graduating class had 700 people I'm sure I was number 699 or something. College definitely did not seem like an option to me. After a year of working in a couple of dead end jobs I decided I either had to get my stuff together and go to school or get used to mediocrity and living paycheck to paycheck. I've always wanted to be able to give my Mom and other immediate family so much and I knew this wasn't going to cut it. That's when I decided that Palo Alto could give me a second chance to right my wrongs. I took the opportunity and ran with it. I graduated with a 3.9 GPA and in the spring of 2012 I was accepted into the University of Texas at Austin where I am now attending summer classes. Needless to say, 3 or 4 years ago, the idea that I'd be attending one of the best schools in the nation seemed laughable. PAC gave me that second chance to reach my full potential. I am forever grateful for that because it has undoubtedly changed my life for the better.

If you were in a room full of PAC students, what would you tell them?

Stay hungry; don't get discouraged. My sister just started attending the school and she's trying to finish her associate's in one year. I constantly remind her to just enjoy the ride because it's a journey. There will be several problems you face that will challenge you:  work, family responsibilities, illness. I personally dealt with all three and then some. I have a 4 year old sister to babysit which kept me up and kept me from studying. I tore my ACL and was kept out of school for weeks with the surgery and recovery time. My Grandpa (R.I.P. Grandpa Joe) had cancer and was difficult to keep up with the work when I was constantly in and out of the hospital with him or was stressed seeing my family so distraught. I know  people that have come across some of these problems and just stopped attending school. Facing adversity and pushing through it makes the accomplishment that much better when it's all said and done. A difficult journey means you have to find a way to motivate yourself.

Get to know your professors and/or faculty advisors. They can really be a great help to you. I was really cool with a few of the faculty members and they undoubtedly helped me through my time at the school. Apply for scholarships! There is so much money being offered it would be insane to not take advantage. Last but not least, get involved! There are plenty ways to make your time at Palo Alto more enjoyable and not just about work, work, work. It's always good to have something that balances out the stress with a good time. I played basketball for the school and it definitely helped me manage the stress a little better. There's plenty of sports from women's volleyball, men's and women's basketball, soccer, flag football, to even gaming tournaments. All these sports play against other schools and kind of give you the feel of playing high school sports all over again. There are even recruitment opportunities if you put forth the effort. I was recruited by a few schools until I tore my ACL and was forced to stop playing. Overall it's a great time and you won't regret it. Palo Alto really is a second chance for so many people and can change your life for the better if your heart is in it.