Steven Cortez

Re “How College Can Tear at a Family’s Soul,” Jan. 23: Every prospective college student from immigrant and working-class parents should read about the courage of Steven Cortez and his painful decision to pursue a four-year college degree. Every educator in contact with at-risk children should follow counselor Eddy Estrada’s courageous example and fight to eliminate the economic and family pressures thousands of Stevens face to go to work instead of college.

Every parent of these bright and promising children should take heart from Steven’s father who, along with hard work, love of family and self-sacrifice, can add the courage to change his deeply held attitudes to his many outstanding virtues.

While economic remedies (i.e. grants, loans, scholarships) have relieved some pressures for low-income immigrant families, the truth is that more and more deserving students are chasing fewer and fewer dollars. Is there any federal or state budget item that garners a greater economic or social return on its investment than these programs?

EDWARD MARKARIAN

Van Nuys

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Thank you for a wonderful story with hopefully a happy ending. The story made me reflect on my father’s impact on my life. He was a salesman with an eighth-grade education. He wanted me to go to college and I did. There was no conflict from me, a second-generation Armenian American. The real hero in your story is the counselor, Estrada; he spotted the candidate and never gave up. He helped Steven find the door to this new millennium for himself and his children.

LOU YARDUMIAN

Coronado

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Your case study of conflicted first-generation college student Cortez is readable but overly dramatic. Why does the guy have to choose between work and school? I’m a first-generation college student and I did both. So have a lot of other people.

Community colleges and Cal State campuses are well-geared to the demands of working students. And they’re affordable enough that if you work your way through, you don’t begin your career with big student loans to pay off.

As I see it, Steven needs to combine the idealism and vision of his counselor with the grit and practicality of his dad.

MIKE EBERTS, Assoc. Prof.

Mass Communications

Glendale Community College