Meet A First-Year Student with a Stunning Success Story
Juan Arredondo Gallego, a business administration major who is completing his first year at PCCC,says his life has changed dramatically since he first came to the US from Colombia, with his parents, four years ago.
“When I started at Eastside High School, I didn’t know any English,” Juan explained. Though he was learning the language in his high school ESL classes, Juan felt uncomfortable among his peers. “I was shy about speaking and didn’t make many friends.”
By senior year, everything had changed. A high achiever, Juan was in the dual-enrollment program, which enabled him, while still in high school, to earn college credits at PCCC, where he took English composition and advanced placement Spanish. He also qualified for NJ STARS, a scholarship program that covers the complete tuition at a community college for students who graduate in the top 15 percent of their high school class.
In fact, even his social life grew so much that Juan was voted king of the high school senior prom. “That was a beautiful experience,” he said. “I didn’t expect it.”
Yet, Juan remembered what it was like to feel isolated due to language issues and made a point to reach out to other students who were in that position, demonstrating already his character and leadership qualities. “I have empathy for them and feel it’s important to support and guide them.”
In his senior year at Eastside, Juan met Mr. Carlomagno Ontaneda, admissions counselor for the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) at PCCC, who introduced him to even more opportunities available to students at the College.
Today, Juan participates in the EOF program and the D.R.E.A.M. honors program – a learning community for high-achieving students. He is also a provisional member of the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) honor society which he says “feels like a family.”
Through EOF, Juan secured two invaluable opportunities in just his first year at PCCC. Recently, he volunteered with HISPA (Hispanics Inspiring Students’ Performance and Achievement), a non-profit organization that encourages volunteer professionals to serve as role models who encourage youth to pursue a college education.
Along with other volunteers, Juan recently visited a middle school class in Passaic to talk about college and growing up. “It was mainly to inspire them and teach them about life,” he explained. “It is a privilege for me to share my experiences with other students and contribute in a meaningful way.”
Juan Arredondo Gallego receives the 2026 EOF Student Leadership Award, presented by Dr. Enrique Noguera, Assistant Dean of EOF (Educational Opportunity Fund) at PCCC.
Juan was also selected for the prestigious New Jersey Governor’s Hispanic Fellows Program, an initiative that strives to prepare promising Hispanic students for successful careers through leadership training, hands-on internships, and education. He will spend two months this summer with the Fellows Program attending workshops, and getting real-life experience by serving with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Union City.
“My goal now is to represent PCCC in the New Jersey Governor’s Hispanic Fellows Program with professionalism and to learn as much as possible, so I can give back and support future PCCC students,” said Juan.
Capping an amazing first year at PCCC, Juan received the EOF Student Leader Award, given to one student per academic year who demonstrated sustained leadership, academic excellence, and meaningful campus engagement.
“Juan exemplifies the kind of student leader EOF was built to develop,” said Enrique Noguera, Assistant Dean of EOF at PCCC. “He is curious, coachable, and humble, qualities that allowed Juan to grow rapidly in just his first year at PCCC. His trajectory reflects what becomes possible when ambition meets opportunity.”
Written by Linda Telesco
Cover photo: PCCC Marketing and Communications
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