Jacob Hernandez is an 18-year-old foster youth and that designation stacks the cards against him. More than half of foster kids drop out of high school and only 3 percent make it to college. Jacob is the exception to those rules.
Born in Richmond to drug-addicted parents, he was taken from them by the court at an early age. Jacob moved so many times between family members during his childhood, he had to make a list to remember all the homes he'd lived in.
Jacob "hated" school, often getting suspended for fighting or skipping class. In high school, he became inspired by his older sister, Chelsey, and brother, Joseph, who are current students at the University of California, Davis. They instilled in Jacob the importance of education. He also got help from the Bay Area Leadership Foundation.
"When I joined the Foundation's Access Program in 2008, it helped me to stay focused and on track to go to college. I did not end up addicted to drugs or in jail like many members of the community I grew up in," said Jacob. "The Foundation offered me so much support, in addition to my family, that I felt that anything was possible."
The Commission of Entertainment at Pinole Valley High, Jacob often jokes around with schoolmates during assemblies and lunch hours. But during class, this senior challenges himself and takes his studies seriously. So seriously that he has achieved a 4.3 GPA by earning straight A's in AP and Honors courses. Jacob will attend UC Davis in the fall of 2010 and major in civil engineering.
