Someone
once said, “Don’t be discouraged, it’s often the
last key in the bunch that opens the lock.” This being the case,
Roberto Ceballos certainly has a full key ring. Thankfully, he has
arrived at the last one.
Ceballos was set back six years after a persuasive recruiter for the
U.S. Navy convinced him to drop out of high school in 2005, in hopes
of finishing the remainder of his education in one month at the El
Paso Academy. He was met with a disappointing reality, that he would
actually need five months to finish his diploma.
Apparently, five months was unacceptable to the Navy. They assured
Ceballos that they would find a solution, so they looked into Job-Core
and Plato. He has yet to hear from them.
Deciding to take his education into his own hands, Ceballos earned
his G.E.D. after years of call center jobs across the southwest.
Tejano
player, Roberto Ceballos, enrolled at El Paso Community College, where
Coach Shannon Hunt recognized his talent.
Photo by Valarie Apperson
In
2002, he settled back with his mother and sister in El Paso. Family
is a stronghold for Ceballos, as is evident by the enthusiasm in his
voice when he spoke of his eight-month-old daughter stating, “She
motivates me and keeps me going.”
Ceballos enrolled in EPCC last fall, but not without his share of
obstacles. Unable to receive financial aid, Ceballos applied for an
emergency loan. With a new daughter and responsibilities toward her
single mother, he wondered how he could afford a second semester.
That is until Coach Hunt recognized his talent for baseball. After
a long conversation, he graciously offered him a scholarship.
“He has really helped me a lot,” Ceballos said with unspoken
affection.
Ceballos is a man who truly understands the value of an education.
Now as he aims for a degree in physical therapy and a possible transfer
to a university, his gratitude percolates through in his own words,
“ I’m still here.”
