JOUR 311 Assignment 4

Hector Cardenas, a 22 year old student at Cal. State Long Beach, faces the woes and struggles that come with being a college student. While attending for his fourth year, Hector is pursuing a Film degree in the areas of Broadcast Production and Editing. As an assignment in his 5th grade class, Hector had to make a video review on the novel, Holes. Since then, filmmaking has been a passion of his. “It’s the process of making film that is interesting,” Hector says. “It gets your creativity going.” Currently, editing is his favorite creative process in filmmaking. Hector remains as a positive individual, and doesn’t let his physical disability stand in the way of his dreams.

Hector was born with two fingers on each hand. In addition, his arms cannot fully extend so he struggles in reaching and gripping items. After undergoing surgery in Kindergarten, Hector gained a thumb on each hand and another finger on his left hand. By First Grade, he became used to his new digits. In elementary, he was reminded of his disability after his peers pointed out a new transfer student with a similar disability as him. “They wanted me to go talk to her,” Hector mentions. “She was new to the school, and she was being very shy.” Overall, Hector has been surrounded by great friends and a supportive community that has been very open to him. Reflecting on his disability with confidence, Hector lives by this motto: “Go ahead and try it first. Don’t let it hold you back.”

As a family man, Hector looks up to his mom and admires her efforts as a single parent. He shares a close relationship with her as well as with his sisters Stephanie, 24, and Amber, 18. After their parents’ divorce, the father visits from Mexico and tries to remain connected with Hector and his sisters.

At the end of the day, Hector is one of many college students trying to balance work, school, and living outside of home. With his job at the Mail Services on campus, Hector tries to make ends meet in his recent independent lifestyle with his roommate in Signal Hill. “Living on my own is not much different from when I was living at home,” he says. “We had to take care of ourselves.” However, his new living environment lacks home-cooked meals such as his favorite dish from mom—ceviche.

Hector considers himself as an open book. “I like to be open and honest with others, and I would like that in return,” he says. Demonstrating his view on life, Hector takes life for what it is—embracing and with honesty. ♦