From Rancho San Antonio to UCLA

Nati’s Journey of Resilience and Growth

When Nati arrived at Rancho San Antonio at just 15 years old, he was entering one of the most uncertain chapters of his life. Like many youth who come through our doors, he struggled with trust, impulse control, and finding direction. Through therapy, mentorship, and the unwavering support of staff who never gave up on him, Nati gradually learned to trust others, ask for help, and believe in himself. Those lessons became the foundation for everything that followed. Nati graduated from high school with honors before successfully completing Rancho’s residential program and earning acceptance into Rancho’s Transitional Age Youth (TAY) Program.

Determined to build an independent future, Nati enrolled in driver’s education during his first week in the TAY Program. Within two months, he earned his driver’s license. He also secured a job at Vons and enrolled at Pierce College. While balancing work and school, Nati earned Dean’s List honors semester after semester, served as Student Body Treasurer, and worked on campus supporting fellow students. After graduating from Pierce College in just two years, he earned an academic scholarship to UCLA.

In June 2026, Nati graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology with an emphasis in Economics, becoming the first person in his family to earn a four-year college degree. His next goal is law school, where he hopes to advocate for justice and create opportunities for others.

Alongside these achievements, Nati faced a significant challenge that few people saw. Since 2013, he has lived with epilepsy, enduring frequent seizures throughout much of his adolescence, including during his years at Rancho. In 2022, he underwent brain surgery to remove a cyst responsible for many of those seizures. Although his journey with epilepsy continues, the surgery dramatically improved his quality of life and opened doors that once seemed impossible.

Reflecting on his experience, Nati shares, “Rancho taught me how to talk to people, how to ask for help, and how to actually accept the help I needed.” Looking back, he also recognizes the many ways staff quietly supported him, from coordinating medical care to ensuring he had the resources he needed to succeed. Even while attending UCLA, Nati continued to give back by volunteering alongside Rancho staff and mentoring youth who are now walking a path he once traveled.

Today, Nati remains committed to making a difference through higher education, public service, affordable housing, and mentoring young people. He hopes to create opportunities for others like those that helped change the course of his own life.

Nati’s journey embodies what it means to Risk, Change, Grow.® He took risks by learning to trust, accept help, and pursue opportunities that once may have seemed beyond reach. He embraced change through perseverance, hard work, and a willingness to keep moving forward despite significant challenges. And he continues to grow, not only through his own achievements, but through his commitment to creating opportunities for others.

His story reminds us that lasting change happens when determination is met with compassion, consistency, and people who refuse to give up. It is living proof that when someone believes in a young person long before they believe in themselves, extraordinary futures become possible.

Nati is being honored at the Legacy of Hope Gala in October, with the Legacy of Hope Award for upholding the values and principles of Brother John Crowe, and carrying forward a legacy of compassion, service, and hope. To learn more about the Gala, please visit https://26gala.givesmart.com