California Dreaming: The Life of Dr. Gabe Veas

A Brief Family History

Born and raised in the LA area, I have a heart and passion to invest in the future, by making a difference in neighborhoods on a personal level. With a Mexican heritage, the last names of my grandparents are reflective of this: Ramirez, Aguilar, Martinez, and Veas. Yet looking back on it all, my family came to the United States with a dream. One could call it the American dream, or better yet they were California dreaming. Here was the land of gold, filled with sunshine, freeways, palm trees, homes, diversity, fast cars, beaches, Disneyland, the Dodgers, and job opportunities. They had dreams of a better life. They were fueled with not just dreams of hope and opportunities for themselves, but more importantly with dreams for their kids to be educated and live a better life.

However, they also had fears. Fears that kept many of their relatives in the so-called safety and comfort of the old country, where they could fall back on the security that the traditional way of life in the motherland had to offer. Although these pioneers were scared of the unknown, not knowing the language here, or what exactly to expect when they would arrive, refused to let those fears stop them.

I must admit that my family in the United States is humble. While previously my grandmother sold fruit as a street vendor, in some respects things have not changed that much economically for some in the family. Now, I have family living in trailer parks. My family is not made up of the wealthy, but they have pride. The family worked hard and made sacrifices. Some even dared to dream big, in the process became college graduates, while others chose to serve the community in the fields of education, medicine, banking, automotives, and the military just to name a few. Some family members are even positive leaders in the community.

Unfortunately, some of family members also fell into the traditions the neighborhoods that they grew up in. Some have broken the law, gone to prison, been addicted to drugs, got divorced, among other things. Some fell into a lifestyle that did not value the opportunities that were before them and became high school drop-outs. These family members took things for granted, like caring teachers, free schools, and libraries. They did not live up to their potential! Overall, my family may have regrets, but they did try their best to stick together and make a difference.

Based upon my upbringing, I realized the truth that each person, individually, will have to choose whether or not to follow the positive traditions or the negative traditions of their heritage, neighborhood, and family. I am dedicated to preaching that, “just because things have been done a certain way, doesn’t mean that it has to continue.”

High School Days

Growing up, I lived by a philosophy of live and let live. Yet, through powerful experiences in high school where human suffering became much more clear to me than ever before, I saw the futility of this relativistic perspective. Living life from day-to-day without purpose is no way to live. In fact, I realized that leaders and members of his community were obligated to use whatever resources they had at their disposal to invest in the next generation to stop the evil traditions that were entrenched in neighborhoods.

While at Nogales High School in La Puente, CA, I initially began to serve my community. I started by spending the summer working with former gang members. I then became the leader of a club at my high school which sought to provide support to students who wanted to follow their dreams and make changes in their lives. In addition to this, I also volunteered for two years with an organization that worked towards improving the lives of Hispanic families.

With the support of a few in my family, I embarked to put my money where my mouth is. Despite those in my community who questioned my quest for academic excellence as some sort of sign that he was a sell-out, I was motivated to do well in school so that he could one day help others more effectively. I was one of the only guys from my high school, which was mostly Hispanic to go to a university. Opportunities then opened up for me to get more involved in film through a great program at my school. This is where I learned how to use a video camera and do video editing among other things.

The College Years

At Azusa Pacific University (APU), where I received his B.A., I continued my path of community service. In addition to working several jobs, I found time to volunteer at several different places, including a convalescent home, an after-school tutoring program, a youth detention camp, and I also went on two service trips to Mexico. Due to the film classes that I took at APU, I was able give Hispanics from the City of Azusa an opportunity to be on television and share their stories. I was able to produce two segments for the local cable station. The first one featured one of the oldest tortilla making factories in the San Gabriel Valley. The other featured two Hispanic students from Azusa who excelled in high school and were later awarded scholarships to attend APU. It is evident that I believe in supporting positive role models.

At this point my mind for scholarship became more evident when I was awarded a research scholarship to Wheaton College in Illinois. On my arrival back in California I made my first academic presentation at APU’s Common Day of Learning. Next, I received a masters degree from the Fuller Theological Seminary. Just as Martin Luther King Jr., one of my main role-models, my life’s work is grounded in a faith tradition.

Following this, I was able to graduate from the University of Southern California with my doctorate degree in educational psychology. In the end, I believe that unlike some in my community who chose to go the wrong way then ended up back on track, I have chosen to take the road less traveled. By choosing to do things right, I have sought to provide a different track for others who follow my example. I believe that my life and message appeal not just to those who are on the peripheries as habitual criminals, but also those who are on the fence who need encouragement to pursue the positive, as well as those who are doing great, in need of affirmation.

Professional Experiences

Throughout my life, I couldn’t say that I had anything handed to me. Although I was able to obtain an incredible amount of scholarships, I still worked many hours a week to ensure that I could be self-sufficient and have self-respect. Some of the places that I worked at while in college include washing dishes, serving guests at Disneyland, and teaching students from the elementary classroom to the university lecture hall.

For the past six years I have been able to serve as a mentor to inner-city college students. Most of them were the first in their family to attend college. They all had the odds stacked against them, to do well and had giants standing in their way. All of them were either African-American or Hispanic. I continue to regularly meet with each of these guys once a week to stay on top of them, in order to ensure that they are doing well in life. I also still work for this organization and I am deeply connected to their lives and their neighborhoods. In addition to this, I have also helped to develop mentoring programs at schools and community organizations here in Los Angeles.

I have taught courses at universities and have spoken at national conferences and other locations across the country providing practical advice to first-generation college students and how to incorporate effective grassroots mentoring. In the end, I hope to broaden individuals’ view of the world, in order for them to see new possibilities for their lives.