Jesse Guerra named December Rotary Student of the Month
Terra State Community College student Jesse Guerra has been named the College’s Rotary Student of the Month for December.
He was enrolled at Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio, Texas, but due to unforeseen circumstances had to drop out during his senior year. After he relocated to Ohio, he graduated from Vanguard Adult Workforce Development Program in May of 2022 with his GED. Now at Terra State, he is taking classes to earn his Associate of Arts degree.
Guerra chose Terra State because he received a warm welcome while taking his GED tests at the College, and it is close to home. “I thought Terra State would be a great start for me to begin my academic career. I did not want to start off at a big school, especially since I had not been in any type of classes in nearly ten years,” said Guerra.
Outside of class, he volunteers at the Surest Path Recovery Center in Fremont, which led him to become a peer support and part-time employee.
His nominator, Associate Professor of Mathematics Michelle Younker, credits Guerra for his dedication to his education. “Jesse Guerra places great value on the learning experiences afforded him and actively engages in enrichment activities. He sees education as a way to help individuals improve their lives and to strengthen the greater community. He also actively engages with other students and seeks to become involved,” said Younker. “Jesse understands the importance of helping others, and I have no doubt that he will help to change his corner of the world. I am delighted to have the opportunity to recognize his dedication to both scholarship and community and that he chose to begin his educational journey here at Terra State.”
“Some of the experiences I will take when I leave the College include one-on-one tutorials with my instructors and tutors, as well as the advice they have given me to help me succeed in my first semester at Terra State,” said Guerra. “These experiences and the knowledge I have gained will help me in the future. Some of the experiences were personal struggles as I tried to adjust to working a full-time job while maintaining studies and turning in assignments, but these difficult times taught me to seek help and how to be flexible in order to get through them.”
After graduation, Guerra wants to transfer to a four-year institution to earn his bachelor’s degree in Psychology and eventually work as a therapist or psychiatrist specializing in addiction treatment. His long-term goal is to help change lives, be a role model and influence and provide hope and inspiration to others in the career field.