Crafton Hills College student to join Cal Poly Pomona Aerospace Engineering Program

Publish Date: Nov. 30, 2023

Cynthia De Los Santos has defied the odds.

After growing up in poverty and escaping domestic abuse, the single mom of two children under the age of 10 is working hard to become a first-generation college graduate, one class at a time. And in early 2024, the 38-year-old Colton resident is embarking on a new, out-of-this-world educational goal:  earning an aerospace engineering degree from Cal Poly Pomona University.

“When people hear ‘aerospace engineering’ they assume I’m brilliant, but I’m not. I’m actually kind of dumb,” joked the soon-to-be Crafton Hills College grad. “I spend hours in tutoring and doing my homework.”

Returning to school as a single parent while balancing varying health issues was not easy. Yet, De Los Santos faced each challenge head on and eventually found a field that really sparked her interest, creativity, and imagination: STEM education.

Soon, De Los Santos began adding courses at Crafton and its sister college, San Bernardino Valley College, and needs just one class to meet program requirements to start her Cal Poly journey in January, she explained.

“My parents didn’t finish elementary school, and I had been kind of lost taking classes I didn’t need,” De Los Santos continued. “But then I met Racquel [Schoenfeld] with CalWORKs [at Crafton], and she began working with me to fix my schedule. This was very helpful for people like me who didn’t know these programs and opportunities existed.”

Schoenfeld said she sees many positive traits in De Los Santos that make her perfectly suited for Cal Poly, from growing into a bright, determined scholar to De Los Santos’ commitment to creating a better future for her family.

“Cynthia demonstrates that there is no situation that you cannot change if you have determination and perseverance to do so,” said the CalWORKs counselor. “In spite of hardships that she has endured, Cynthia possess an inner strength and self-assurance that are key factors to her success.”

Despite being a bucket of nerves, De Los Santos is excited about what the future holds, and her family will be right there to cheer her on.

“For a very long time I felt sad and broken down, but [continuing with my studies] empowers me to push forward because this is for my kids,” she said. “This upcoming semester, I’m going into the unknown and leaving my comfort zone of Crafton and Valley, but I have little kids who are depending on me and sometimes those [negative] feelings can’t exist.

“There’s no other option for me. If I don’t do this, I won’t ever get out of poverty,” De Los Santos shared. “And I can’t believe I have a second chance to follow a dream. That’s what drives me. This is my one shot."