Upon first glance, most people might see Omar Bahena as just another teenager who is finally about to graduate as one of nearly 30,000 seniors in the class of 2021 from Riverside County high schools.
But, the journey of this Desert Hot Springs High School student from the Palm Springs Unified School District is far from ordinary. He is driven with a genuine passion to give back to others, to never give up on his dreams, and to create a successful future for his siblings to follow.
Most people would never know that a couple years ago, he had almost nothing left to give.
The inspiring story of Omar Bahena is far more than maintaining a report card with straight A’s. Along the way, he has pushed through obstacles that threatened his dreams to become a first-generation student to attend college. Omar overcame growing up in a low-income household, living through his family losing their home, and survived debilitating conditions and lung problems due to COVID-19.
Omar moved from Arizona to California at the age of 3. In Arizona, his family lived in a small trailer and survived by operating a small clothing shop inside of it, which they would set up when migrant workers from the fields came through the area.
Moving to California provided everyone in his family with more opportunities—especially for Omar as he joined the Migrant Education Program offered to students and families by the Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE). He first joined the program through his school tutor, Angelica Guzman.
“I remember she used to come to my house for tutoring sessions when I couldn’t even write my name or do basic mathematics,” Omar said.
Omar says he fell in love with the opportunity of having a support system that has taught him what his parents were unable to.
“As a first-generation student, that’s usually what happens. Both of my parents only spoke Spanish and their education was very different from here,” Omar said. “They had a difficult time understanding paperwork, the syllabus, or any projects that were assigned. Because we were low-income, we didn’t have the opportunity to access a lot of resources that could help.”
One of Omar’s greatest accomplishments was shifting his mentality between middle school and high school.
“I was almost a troublemaker. I used to skip class or always come late. But, one day, my math teacher, Mr. Coleman, pulled me aside after class and told me he had nominated me as Student of the Month out of all his classes because he believed in me,” Omar said.
Those words resonated inside of Omar and contributed to his growing self-confidence that set him up for his next four years of success in high school. He recognized that being in a cohort with ambitious students who shared similar experiences, and teachers who cared for his growth, could empower him and help him reach his goals.
Meanwhile, Omar remained involved with the RCOE Migrant Education Program that offered him opportunities to explore his future. During his junior year of high school, he participated in a trip to UC Berkeley for migrant students to explore careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Omar participated in a team project to research a third world country and determine how to build a functioning water system through the mind of an engineer. Through the experience, Omar’s interest in STEM was activated. He decided that he would pursue a major in engineering in college to not only build a career, but to serve the community.
“My goal is to give back to my community, whether that be through something I build physically, or through the knowledge I can teach,” Omar said. “It is something I would love to pass down from generation to generation through my family.”
While Omar was focused on his future, multiple obstacles directly in front of him could have prevented Omar from achieving his dreams.
When he was fifteen years old, his family lost their home and most of their belongings.
“I had to ask for favors from teachers and counselors,” Omar said. “I was out looking day and night trying to find opportunities to keep my family safe while staying within the deadlines of school.”
Three months later his family was able to secure a safe home to live in, but the struggles were far from over as COVID-19 would spread through his entire family only a few short years later.
Omar experienced debilitating conditions and a lung problem. His mother’s health was in critical condition.
“I felt pressure on my chest all the time and standing up hurt,” Omar said. “I would hold my textbooks on my chest trying to write during class.”
As the oldest son, Omar took on the role of taking care of his family while his father was away from home working. This included arranging for his mother’s care and medication, while taking care of his younger sisters.
Omar says his parents are his biggest motivation. Taking stock of everything they have given up for him keeps Omar moving forward and prevented him from giving up.
“As a first-generation student with immigrant parents, we have to lead the way,” Omar said.
Looking back at all the obstacles in his life, Omar’s biggest advice for anyone is to always find people to talk to, and to always follow your dreams.
“Find that group that you can talk to and will support you, because that’s something I wish I had done in the past that would have helped me not struggle alone,” Omar said. “Never stop asking questions because those questions will get you somewhere. Never stop seeking those resources and opportunities that will help your dreams come true.”
Omar is leading the way for his family and community by graduating with honors and applying for higher education. He was accepted into UCLA, Carnegie Mellon University, UC Irvine, Georgia Institution of Technology, and Swarthmore College. Omar has decided that he will study Engineering at UCLA—bolstered by a $40,000 scholarship from Southern California Edison.