Adan Vasquez was born in the United States, but grew up in El Salvador, returning when he was sixteen years old.  The experience of two cultures and two languages has provided Adan with a special view of the world.  He believes that the commonality among all cultures, is in the strength a society gains from learning, “eventually creating an environment of peace and understanding among people.”  Learning can only happen when a mind is free to imagine.

Adan has always imagined the day he would go to college.  He made a promise to his father, before he passed, that he would go to college.   This was their dream always, for Adan to be the first in his family to receive a college degree.  Since he was a child he loved to create and discover how things worked.  He has always found peace and happiness in nature, spending long hours in El Salvador exploring the countryside.  His dream is to be an environmental engineer.

Amazingly, Adan, just entering the United States in high school, not knowing the English language, earned straight A’s.  With a challenging curriculum of Economics, Chemistry, U.S. History, Composition… Adan proved to himself and others that he will use every tool to gain the education he dreams of attaining.

Adan is attending U.C. Merced as an environmental engineering major.

As the newest addition to the U.C. system, he chose this college because he wants to be part of the growth, involved in the changes, and influencing the school and his tomorrows.

“… My best ally is not showing up with the best test scores the world has ever seen, but to have a mind full of imagination and a great fervor to discover and explore the vast world ahead of me… With the opportunity of the L.I.F.T. Scholarship one must make sure that in the future it is passed forward to someone in need.  Being helped and then to help others, is a commitment I can gladly accept…”