From as far back as he could remember, senior Joshua Roiz believed he would never graduate high school. With his grades dropping and a lack of motivation, he saw a tougher future ahead and assumed that graduation was something out of his reach.

That all changed when Joshua witnessed his father’s recovery from an accident which left him with a serious open wound in his stomach, and Joshua bracing for the news that his father might not make it.

“Seeing what my dad went through, I feel like he built me to be as durable as he is,” Joshua said. “I feel like if it was anyone else, they would have died, but he pushed through.”

This fear of the unknown combined with his realization of his potential pushed Joshua to pursue his future more seriously.

“What my dad was going through started to make me rethink my education,” Joshua said. “He is the strongest person I know and seeing him go through so much pain yet still push through helped me be the same way.”

Joshua took that first step in December when he realized he was short on credits and needed to act quickly in a different environment. Attending Riverside County Office of Education’s Betty G. Gibbel Regional Learning Center, Joshua plans to graduate this spring, something he never thought would come to fruition.

“I was lazy back then, I just simply didn’t want to put the work in to graduate,” Joshua said. “The hardest part was telling myself to put the work in. I knew I could, but sitting down and taking time out of my day to do it was the toughest part.”

Joshua believes the new school experience played a huge part in his success as a future graduate and his outlook on education entirely—especially RCOE teachers Danielle Rodriguez and Lisa Gonzalez. 

“There is so much more opportunity here, especially with computers and technology,” Joshua said. “Teachers like Ms. R. and Ms. G. truly push us to put in the work and complete it. I used to think that they were too tough, but as you mature, you understand that they really care about us students and want us to succeed.” 

After his high school journey ends, Joshua plans to further his success joining the U.S. Marine Corps or the U.S. Army, something he has wanted to do since he was a child. He also wants to start a family, building a better future for them by focusing on his future now.   

“I want my future family to see me the way I see my dad,” Joshua said. “I’m a part of him, and I need to focus on myself now in order to build that foundation for them.” 

Taking interest in mechanics and welding, Joshua hopes to find a passion after high school in the military. With this, Joshua sees his father in all aspects of his life, leading him down a greater path to success.  

“At the end of the day, his strength pushes me even more,” Joshua said. “I’m going to be in his shoes one day for my family, and I’ll have to make sacrifices and keep a smile on my face when going through it all.”