Grad Spotlight - Martin Trejo
June 28, 2020 - 09:00 AM
Martin Trejo has always found himself moving from place to place, especially as it
relates to his education.
During his youth, he attended three elementary schools, one middle school and three high schools. When Martin finally graduated from Sierra Vista High School in Baldwin Park in 2008, he tried his luck at college at the now-closed Westwood College.
鈥淎t the time, I thought it was amazing studying Administration of Justice with an aspiration to become a police officer,鈥� he says. 鈥淎fter a year there, I realized that school just wasn鈥檛 my thing.鈥�
He dropped out and enlisted in the United States Army Reserves. Martin went to Basic
Training for six months and returned home, thinking he had found his calling with
the Armed Forces. But he still felt lost and tried college again, this time at Rio
Hondo College 鈥渋n hopes of finding a spark of interest in something,鈥� he says.
But after two semesters, Martin stopped attending. Shortly thereafter, he was notified he was being deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. His first tour of duty lasted about a year, and Martin volunteered for more time in Afghanistan.
鈥淚 was never the same after what I experienced and felt more lost than ever,鈥� he says.
During the month of June, Mt. SAC social media channels (, and ) will feature a Mountie Grad spotlight each day, sharing the stories of our students鈥� journey through Mt. SAC and where their education is taking them next. Read how a star Mountie baseball player, As a 16 year-old entering Mt. SAC, Learn how
Martin was again back at home, feeling bored at a dead-end job and yearning for the comfort of the military. So, once again, the sergeant in the Military Police asked to be deployed overseas.
鈥淒uring my time away, I didn鈥檛 really check in as much with family as I didn鈥檛 feel like I belonged,鈥� Martin says. 鈥淚 was in a relationship throughout all this, and, during my third deployment, she went out and (was unfaithful). I wouldn鈥檛 find out until a few months after I returned.鈥�
While breakups are always hard, Martin felt it was a wakeup call to turn around his life, which included giving college another shot.
鈥淚 heard from friends that the Veterans Resource Center at Mt. SAC was really amazing at helping their veterans tackle the hardships and integration into the college life and come out successful,鈥� he says. 鈥淪o I enrolled in the Fall of 2016.鈥�
Martin found it bumpy that first semester back, failing a math class and withdrawing
from a Psychology course.
鈥淚 jumped into an ocean without having learned how to swim,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 needed to restructure my way of learning and approach things in a new way.鈥�
Martin began to find his footing during the Winter and Spring terms, but toward the end of that Spring, he got word that he was being deployed again: this time to Saudi Arabia.
As he settled into another new country, he learned he 鈥渨as able to take online classes at Mt. SAC,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 jumped on that wagon and continued my education that way.鈥�
Unfortunately, Martin鈥檚 groove online was short-lived. He was involved in a serious car accident in Saudi Arabia and was unable to do his job as a soldier or as a student.
鈥淚 was sent to Ft. Lewis in Washington to get treatment for traumatic brain injury, speech therapy, memory loss, physical therapy, and occupational therapy.鈥� Martin says. 鈥淚 remained there for quite some time, and, after therapy, I regained the confidence to reenroll in online classes.鈥�
Martin was able to overcome all his injuries, unease and uncertainty to earn an AA-T degree in Sociology. The veteran will now transfer to Cal Poly Pomona to continue his journey.
鈥淚t is my hope to help those that are in need,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 am headed toward the social worker route. I am excited to see what challenges I will face. I am eager to learn and face it all head on.鈥� #MtSACgrads2020