Blanca Zarate | Guest Writer
As a young boy in Puerto Rico, Remi Rivera was always involved in school activities and maintained a high grade-point average. But he says he struggled to behave and obey authority.
“Intelligence does not translate to success,” says Rivera, a student at City College. “I didn’t follow the rules because I thought that, because I had good grades, I could do whatever I wanted.”
At 14 years old, Rivera won a scholarship to attend one of the best schools in Puerto Rico. Because of his behavior, Rivera says he was expelled from the school. At 15, he says he went to jail for two weeks. It was a lesson he learned the hard way.
“That one decision I made cost me a great opportunity to go to a prestigious college,” Rivera says.
Later at 17, Rivera joined the United States Navy. When Rivera made the decision to leave the military after 14 years, he says he was asked by many what he would do next after spending so much time serving.
Now at 33, Rivera has an answer. He is working toward his bachelor’s degree in biology, with the goal to become an urologist for the Department of Veterans Affairs, saying that he wants to “be part of the solution.”
At City College, Rivera came in contact with Mary-Sue Allred, a counselor on campus for veterans. Allred recalls that her first impression was that he was person with high energy that knew exactly what he was going after.
“He comes to me when he has questions,” Allred says. “I learn a lot from him. Because he is pre-med, he’s looking at a lot of avenues.”
Rivera served in the United States Navy and Army, where he served as a corpsman Army ranger. As a military veteran attending college, he is involved with the Veterans’ Affairs department on campus.
“Sacramento City College has all the tools, counselors, advisers in place for a veteran to succeed,” says Rivera.
In his last year at City College, Rivera has been part of the student Senate.
“He never fails to prove his capability,” says Monica Sepulveda, a former member of the Student Senate. “He’s punctual, he’s efficient. If he says he’s going to do something, he’s going to do it.”
Rivera was also named chemistry Student of the Year, and he is working for an organization named Veterans Foreign Wars.
Even with his busy schedule, Rivera still manages to make time to volunteer at his 7-year-old daughter’s school as a chess instructor. He says that after leaving the military he made it a priority to be more involved in his daughter’s upbringing. Rivera says he focuses on giving his daughter the motivation and drive to accomplish anything she sets her mind to, something he says he lacked in his childhood.
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For Rivera, time management is very important.
Rivera gives advice on being a parent and on being a student: “You have to pre-plan as much as you can.”
Rivera is also a competitive body-builder, participating in various body-building competitions around California. He spends time training others to achieve their fitness goals at the Fitness Systems gym in West Sacramento.
Rivera hopes to transfer to Florida University to complete his bachelor’s degree. His dream of becoming a doctor is not too far ahead.
“I can see the goal. I can taste it,” he says.
