Mario Galicia Jr.Mario Galicia Jr., son of a San Bernardino demolition company owner, took a wrecking ball to his unproductive past long ago, and is proud of the life he has been building over the years.
For Mario, a 5th-year Ph.D. student in UCSB’s Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, the journey through graduate student life has been all about “creating a family and career while taking some time to become acculturated to a world outside of the surroundings I grew up knowing.”
Those surroundings – the rough Rampart District of Los Angeles where he was born and the Inland Empire city of San Bernardino where he was raised – were populated with youth street gangs, violence, and poor economic conditions.
A self-described “chunky asthmatic kid” in elementary school, Mario endured teasing, bullying, and beatings from other kids as a youngster. But he persevered, excelling in his high school classes. As an honors student in a gang-infested area, Mario felt he had to live a double life just to survive.
Mario could not have envisioned graduate school, let alone a college education of any kind, back in those days. But he says that with the help of a few good friends, the support of a wife who encourages him to pursue his dreams, and his own realization that he wanted more out of life than gang activity and manual labor, he mustered the courage to find himself through education.
Mario with his wife, Maria, and their children, Michelle and Mauricio.Today, Mario has three college degrees under his educational tool belt and is pursuing his fourth. He is president of the Graduate Students Association, and serves as Graduate Division’s Diversity and Outreach Peer Advisor. He has not forgotten those who have helped him on his journey, and gives back now through his work with undergraduates, grad students, and the community.
Mario – married and the father of two children, including a son, Mauricio, who was born just two months ago – took some time out of his busy family and school schedule to speak with the GradPost.
Learn about the pivotal moment when Mario realized education was his best option for a better life; what he wished he had known before starting grad school; the accomplishment he’s most proud of; how his past has influenced his current research; and more. Read on. …
Mario Gerardo Galicia Jr.
5th-year Graduate Student, Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, in the Cultural Perspectives and Comparative Education program.
I plan on defending and filing my dissertation by and walking in the June 2014 graduation.
AA/AS, RCC-Moreno Valley College, 2005.
BA, UC Santa Barbara, Chicana/o Studies and Sociology, 2008.
MA, UC Santa Barbara, Education, 2012.
Currently president of the UCSB Graduate Students Association.
Where did you grow up?
I was born, and lived, in the Rampart District of Los Angeles, for the first seven to eight years of my life. Then my family and I relocated to the Inland Empire, specifically San Bernardino. I went to school and lived there for 15 years before transferring to UCSB in the fall of 2006.
Tell us a little about your research and how you came to choose the topic.
The Galicia siblings: Felipe, top, Mario, and Miriam. Mario's brother Felipe has worked for the past 10 years at Moreno Valley College, where he is a biology professor.My research is focused on school-based youth gang and violence prevention programs. I have been interested in looking into the topic of the “school to prison pipeline” because growing up in both L.A. and San Bernardino, I witnessed many of my friends transform from being my classmate to becoming some form of youth delinquent. I saw many friends fall to the temptation of youth street gangs, and many were thrown in prison, oftentimes for victimless crimes. I myself participated in a youth gang while in high school and understand the politics involved from all sides. I was an honors AP student but I felt I had to live a double life in order to survive inside and outside the classroom. Except I was not worried about succeeding academically, I was more interested in just finding a way to get by and graduate high school so I could begin to live my adult life. Although I struggled through high school I met a few good friends who taught me how to begin to move away from my past, and they gave me the courage to find myself, even if it meant leaving San Bernardino. I transferred to UCSB from Moreno Valley College, and almost immediately, I had the opportunity to learn from and work under the tutelage of Dr. Victor Rios from Sociology. Dr. Rios’ research projects were developing in the local community while I was an undergraduate, but by the time I became a graduate student Dr. Rios was asked to provide an evaluation on the local gang and violence intervention program (GVIP), which I was asked to be a part of. I assisted in gathering the research evaluation data from the first year through the second year of grad school. I have since maintained a longitudinal account of the Santa Barbara GVIP. I hope to contribute to my field by using my research data to report the progress and effect of the Santa Barbara GVIP. I have to thank my research committee for allowing me the privilege of working with and outside of my department to develop my research.
What has graduate student life been like for you?
Mario's parents, Mario Sr. and Amelia, with Mario and his bride Maria.It’s been interesting. I was accepted to graduate school, without funding. Since starting graduate school I have been able to secure TAships in the Sociology and Chicana/o Studies departments, as well as my position as the Diversity and Outreach Peer for Graduate Division. I’ve been provided a top-notch professional training experience in student affairs and in academia. I have also enjoyed my personal life as a graduate student, outside of my academic and work commitments. I married my college sweetheart, Maria, and we have two wonderful children, Michelle and Mauricio. I have used my research conference travels as time to also plan “mini-vacations” and an opportunity to engage different people and cultures outside of California. I guess my graduate student life experience has been about creating a family and career while taking some time to become acculturated to a world outside of the surroundings I grew up knowing.
What do you wish you had known before you started grad school?
I wish I would have known more about the level of writing needed in order to publish in academics. The skill set required to publish is significantly higher than the skill set I came in to graduate school with and playing catch up has been challenging. My writing has been a developing area for me, and will always be one I work hard on. However, I am beginning to learn the level of meticulousness involved with creating, conducting, and reporting research. I make sure to try to take advantage of writing groups and seminars to help progress my individual research projects.
What has been a source of motivation or drive for you in your graduate studies?
My family. I first started going to college because I felt I had to set an example for my oldest nephew, Julian. As the youngest in my family, I never understood the meaning of accountability to someone younger than I, yet once he was born, something inside of me told me I had to go to college. Now as the father of two children of my own, I can’t help but remember what my life was like prior to me attending college. I had been working with my father as a field laborer for his demolition business after I graduated high school (really most of my life, given that it is our family business), but I did not feel like I was doing what I was meant to be doing. One day, after finishing a two-month job at a local university with my father, I realized that I could have earned 16 units of credit during that same time. I would not have had to wake up as early or exert myself as much physically either. I will never forget how difficult it was for me to get to a point in my life where I felt like an education was my best option for a better living. It came after several years of struggling with putting my life together. However, after I arrived at the decision to attend college, I never looked back because I knew what other work I was qualified for. I have nothing against a blue-collar career; matter of fact, had college not worked out, I would have probably ended up working as an auto mechanic or car audio master installer. I just prefer helping other people, especially those who are underrepresented in higher education, find their path in academics.
Who is your hero and why?
This is by far the most difficult question to have to answer, given all the wonderful and influential people in my life. However, if I had to choose, I would have to say that my hero is my mother, Amelia Galicia. My mother was born in Jalisco, Mexico, and was raised in a very rural town of Tepalcatepec, Michoacan, Mexico. As the eldest female in her family, my mother was taught to cook and clean, and as a result, my mother was never allowed to attend school. While still a teenager, my mother had already helped raise several of her siblings when she decided to immigrate to the United States. By immigrating to the U.S., my mother felt she could find a job in the manual labor or textile industry and help her family more by providing some additional financial assistance. My mother had very limited opportunities as a woman, immigrant, and uneducated woman. Somehow, with the assistance of family and friends, my mother made it to Los Angeles, where she worked various jobs, from sewing buttons onto shirts in a downtown L.A. sweatshop to cleaning houses to laboring in a restaurant. My mother never complains about her shortcomings in life; she just makes do with what she has and tries to stay positive and persistent through it all.
Name an accomplishment you are most proud of and why.
Mario and Maria Galicia The accomplishment that I am most proud of is being a family man. I never imagined that I could have happiness and peace as a result of attending college. I met my wife when I was her Public Speaking tutor at our community college back home, and somehow managed to convince her to move in with me when we transferred to UCSB. She has taught me how to value my family and encouraged me to continue to pursue my dreams. She also keeps me grounded and is a great listener when I need it. I’m certain that her positive influence has been a big factor to me being such a committed family man. I’m not perfect, and far from where I want to be, but I’m certain that with my family’s support I can continue to achieve and accomplish anything I need and want.
What do you do to relax? Any hobbies, favorite places to go or favorite things to do? What makes you happy?
I love spending time with my family. I enjoy going to the playground with my daughter and pushing her on the swing for what seems like hours. Now that we have a second child in our house, I enjoy holding the little guy and his sister while imagining all the things they will accomplish and moments we will share as they grow. When traveling, I enjoy spending time off the Northern California coast.
When I feel like being selfish I go outside and work on my truck. I have always found some peace in cleaning, maintaining, or updating my vehicle. I love music. I listen to music while working on just about everything I do. You might catch me walking around campus, in the GSRC, or in a writing lab with headphones on.
What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
I think most people would be surprised to find out that in high school I was a youth delinquent. I was the chunky asthmatic kid in elementary school who got picked on all the time. When I got to middle school the teasing only got worse, especially in the locker room. I outgrew my clothes faster than my parents could afford to replace them. One day I was being teased by a group of kids from a “Bloods” street gang when the brother of one of my buddies and his friends came to my aid. They pulled off the six or seven kids who were pounding away at me. After that day I felt like I knew who my friends were and I also felt a little indebted to those who had helped me out. I never joined my buddies’ street gang. Rather, a couple of years later I started a crew [Mario describes this as a non-territorial alternative to a gang, in which members of the group act as bodyguards for one another] with several other Latino guys from the football team. Race was a big deal to us during those years, particularly in high school. Our football team was largely made up of Black and Latino student athletes. There were also a few Asian kids as well as a couple of white kids on the team. We were constantly fighting with each other, verbally and physically. After our last game of the season we ended up having a brawl in the locker room. In the end, several of us Latinos felt the only way to survive was to band together against those who wanted to harm us. I did many things I’m not proud of during those years, but I did what I had to do to survive and for that I’m not sorry.
What do you hope to be doing five or 10 years out of graduate school?
In 10 years I hope I am working in a college setting. I would love to teach at a community college or university. I could also see myself working in student affairs as an administrator, or possibly some hybrid of both. I would also like my nonprofit organization to be well established and reputable. On a personal note, I hope that my children and wife are happy. Whatever my career, I can face its challenges knowing that I have my family’s support. I’m willing to sacrifice personal success to live a sane and happy life. Hopefully I’ll still be around UCSB in some capacity.
Do you have any advice for current grad students?
Maria and Mario Galicia received their degrees together from UCSB in June 2011.I would advise current graduate students to be persistent in their hustle, whatever it may be. For some of us, being involved in student activism on top of our academics is almost a necessity. Yet, for others it is perfectly normal to just be work-oriented. Whatever your focus is, it can be easy to become one-dimensional and forget all of the resources and tools readily available to us, especially as graduate students. Try to stay in tune with what’s going on in the real world, outside of your studies. Get involved with campus organizations as a member or advisor. Take some dance classes or study abroad. There are so many ways to travel and have fun while promoting your graduate studies, yet many graduate students are not aware of their opportunities. Take advantage of the diverse cultural setting of UCSB. We forget how spoiled we are until we finish our degree programs.
What is your role as Diversity and Outreach Peer Advisor?
As a Diversity and Outreach Peer I have the opportunity to participate in many projects for Graduate Division and I have collaborated with many other departments as well. The best part of this job is meeting new people. I have the opportunity to assist undergraduates with workshops on the graduate school application process and resources. I also help undergraduate students with suggestions on how to set up and begin writing their statement of purpose. I also incorporate an additional element that helps explain what some of the possible career options are for them given their areas of interest for graduate school.
I have been fortunate to have worked for the Office of Financial Aid at UCSB as an undergraduate because I learned a lot of valuable information regarding how financial aid changes in form, and administration, once students matriculate to graduate school. This might be considered boring information, but students need to understand how the process looks and how to navigate it if they are to participate effectively as graduate students. This information has also proven to be the most crucial bit of information for our students when they get down to deciding which university they attend for graduate school.
As diversity peer I strive to promote quality social and academic events for our current graduate students. I help people from diverse ethnicities and cultures acclimate to UCSB by informing them of various campus and local resources. As an underrepresented minority myself, I know the importance of finding out about as many resources as possible, not only for myself, but to also assist other graduate students in similar situations. Moving from the Inland Empire was quite an adjustment for me, so I try to do what I can to make folks feel welcome and comfortable, wherever they come from. With so many graduate students coming from out of the area, state, and country, I feel I should do whatever I can to help those students out.
I have to say that the most fun I have at work is usually done in the spring and summer. For the past several summers we have had the opportunity to host a few research programs. I love helping folks navigate their lives through academia as I have. It gives me satisfaction knowing that I had a very small part in some students attending graduate school. My goal is to help graduate students take a personal hold of their educational experience, by any means necessary.
More on Mario:
Meet Your Graduate Students Association Executives
Paying It Forward as a Graduate Student Mentor
Expecting a Baby in Santa Barbara
Recalling My Summer of Family Fun in Santa Barbara
Preparing for my 1st Conference Presentation (Part 1)
Preparing for my 1st Conference Presentation (Part 2)