Those who choose determination instead of complacency, travel upwards, push their limits and exceed expectations are said to live the fullest of lives. Chemical engineering student Pedro Zendejas is one of these people. Knocked down by the college admissions process time and time again, his dreams were never knocked out.
Zendejas had no plans to attend university after his high school graduation. He made the decision to put a little change in his pocket and signed on with a highway construction crew. Sixteen-hour days in the Texas heat became his reality, but one day, in his sweltering labor, Zendejas had a revelation.
“I finally came to my senses and realized that if I just put forth the effort that I put into working hard at my job every day then I could excel in college,” Zendejas said.
But Zendejas’ choice to join the workforce left him totally unprepared to enter academia. The new college-hopeful graduated high school ranked 39 out of 48 seniors and had foregone opportunities to take any college entrance exams.
After a trip to the Texas A&M University-Kingsville Admissions Office, Zendejas learned that the first step towards his academic career would be the completion of an ACT test.
“The admissions office told me that I would have to take the ACT and make a 20 to be accepted into the university. I took the test, but unfortunately, I made a 16 which was not good enough,” Zendejas said.
Following the submission of his test scores, Zendejas received the first of many letters that began the same heart-rending way.
“Dear Pedro, we are sorry to inform you that you do not meet the requirements to be accepted into the university.”
But Zendejas was not to be denied.
After a return visit to the admissions office, Zendejas made an appeal to the admissions committee. The Bloomingotn-native was optimistic upon submitting his letter of appeal, but was met with the same response.
“After I had submitted the appeal letter, I had received another letter and this one looked a little different. I got excited but when I opened it, it was the same denial letter. So, at that point I was out of appeals, and the only options were to take the ACT again or to try the SAT. To make a long story short I took both of the tests. I made a 16 again on the ACT and I do not even want to talk about the SAT. Everything was looking bad for me and after all these tests and receiving two more denial letters, I was ready to just give up,” Zendejas said.
And to add to his hopelessness, Zendejas received words of deterrence from a member of the admissions team.
“I even called the admissions office again and someone from there told me these exact words, ‘Pedro, I’m sorry but you went to Bloomington and you didn’t do well at all. This is a college and a hard college at that. You’re not going to make it here. Go somewhere else and stop trying already.’ When I heard those words, I felt my heart break,” Zendejas said.
Zendejas was at a crossroads. And instead of choosing another route, he doubled down, going so far as to call his job on the highway construction crew to let them know that he wouldn’t be coming back to work because he was going to college.
“I would miss work to just walk around the campus, going into different buildings and just talk to the deans of that department trying to convince someone to help me get into the College and everyone was telling me the same thing. ‘I’m sorry but we cannot help.’ Then one day I decided to go to the department that I was wanting to go into; engineering.”
It was there that Zendejas met Dr. Breanna Bailey.
“We talked for a little and I expressed that I was wanting a chance, for someone not to look at my past but to see the person in front of them. Little did I know that my interaction with Dr. Bailey would be a life changing conversation,” Zenejas said.
Dr. Bailey saw something unique in Zendejas.
“It is sometimes difficult for a student’s full potential to be accurately described by traditional metrics. In Pedro’s case, I saw a young man who clearly recognized the value of a college education and how obtaining a degree could help him accomplish his career goals. In my experience, persistence and dedication are the most important factors in achieving an educational goal,” Bailey said.
Inspired by Pedro’s determination, Dr. Bailey made moves to help him achieve his academic dreams.
“For various reasons, Pedro had not been admitted through traditional processes. He spoke to me in my capacity of Assistant Dean for the Frank H. Dotterweich College of Engineering (a role I held at that time but no longer hold) to see if there was a possibility for him to be admitted by special request. In conjunction with the dean, I made a special request for Pedro to be admitted on a probationary footing. He has exceeded our expectations, and I am very proud to see all he has accomplished during his time at TAMUK,” Bailey said.
Nearly a week after his meeting with Dr. Bailey, Pedro received a new letter in the mail. This time, its contents carried different implications.
“This letter looked like all the other denial letters so I was already thinking the worst, but then I opened the letter. ‘Dear Pedro, Congratulations you have been accepted into the University of Texas A&M Kingsville.’ At that moment, I knew my hard work had paid off and now I was a college student,” Zendejas said. “I placed my hand over my eyes as tears ran down my face and all I could say was thank you Jesus. Now a few semesters later, I am a year away from graduating and not only am I passing everything, but I am honored to serve as an example for others. Showing that working hard for something they really want and never giving up will eventually pay off. I truly believe that life is full of challenges and obstacles but all these things are just opportunities to show what you have on the inside and to prove to the world that nothing is impossible. I was just a kid with a dream, that dream eventually became a vision, and now that vision is my goal.
“This journey has not been easy, there were times when I wanted to give up, times when I told myself that I was not going to make it, but then I just remember this story and I realize that I can do whatever I put my mind to,” Zendejas continued. “I want to be an encouragement to others and if I could give any words of wisdom to those that are coming up after me, it would be this: Just have Faith in God and in yourself and you can do anything. Never let people tell you what you can and cannot do. Only you can stop yourself from becoming the best you. Never settle for less, always strive for the best and live your life knowing that you did everything in your power to achieve your dream.”
