Jose Duran

As an infantryman, I served two tours in Iraq before earning an honorable discharge. While I was there, I grew up very fast. Losing close friends and narrowly escaping death a few times not only gave me a much deeper appreciation for life, but it motivated me to act on my dreams to become a police officer.

After graduating from the Police Academy, I was hired by the Alhambra Police Department. Even though I had achieved a lifelong dream, something was still missing. It wasn’t enough to be an officer. I wanted to move into management, but needed a bachelor’s degree. So I enrolled at Citrus College.

As a veteran, I was able to participate in the Boots to Books course, where professors like Dr. Bruce Solheim helped me make the difficult transition into college life. All the professors and staff members I encountered were encouraging and helpful. Now, for the first time in my life, I’m not only understanding my coursework, I’m excelling at it.

I thought I wasn’t cut out for college, but experiencing “real” life helped me realize that college offers incredible opportunities. After completing basic skills and a number of general education classes at Citrus, I’m well on my way to transferring to a four-year school—one step closer to earning a master’s degree and entering the upper echelons of the police department. I never would have thought I’d  enjoy taking college classes. With hard work and a little help from others, anything is possible.

I am  very grateful to those at Citrus College who have helped and encouraged me.