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Emmanuel Melgoza was born in Mexico and moved to Colorado when he was in 3rd grade. After attending elementary and middle school in the Denver area, he was part of an International Baccalaureate program in high school. At the time of this interview he had finished his second year at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he was majoring in political science and ethnic studies, with a minor in technology, arts and media. He discusses the struggles he had in school as he learned to speak English, but he also speaks about his determination and successes, which he attributes in part to the way his family stressed the value of obtaining an education. He describes the experience of adjusting to life at the university and in Boulder, noting that participation in student organizations and student government had opened doors for him. He also reflects on being a Latino in Boulder County, some of the prejudice that non-Latinos bring to interactions with Latinos, and stresses the need for hard work and achievement to overcome those stereotypes.