Whether you’re a part of the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program or not, students at Santa Barbara High School have had the privilege to talk to the Co-Coordinator of the AVID program and chair of the English department, Joseph Velasco. Velasco has had a massive influence amongst Latino/a students at Santa Barbara High through his influence and encouragement. 

It all started when Velasco began teaching at Santa Barbara High School in 2001, where he noticed there weren’t a lot of first generation Latino/a students getting into four year colleges. Velasco says, “I began to ask myself why that was the case amongst Latino students when we had the program REACH.” REACH (Reaching for Educational Achievement) was a program created by other teachers at SBHS to help students get into four year colleges, but the school didn’t quite have the structure for it at the time. “It just wasn’t really working,” says Velasco. The journey began when Velasco went down to a conference meeting in San Diego, CA, where the AVID program was introduced to him by former Assistant Principal Dr. Cynthia White. After acquiring information about the program, they sat down and wrote a proposal to the school district to install the AVID program across all Santa Barbara Secondary Schools. The district approved the proposal and, “I’m happy to say that the program has been a success since 2006 in helping first generation students navigate the college system,” says Velasco. AVID, being a national program, had way more support amongst the school board and parents than REACH did. Velasco says, “I like to use this metaphor when comparing the two; it’s like driving an old broken down car that still works, but then you’re offered a Ferrari. You can say Ferrari is AVID, and that’s what we went for instead.” 

Growing up, Velasco struggled in high school and felt as if he never had someone he could talk to about attending a four year college as a first generation student. After graduation, Velasco attended a junior college and eventually transferred to the University of California, Santa Barbara. Velasco says, “When I look back at how I was in honors classes, had a great GPA, was a yearbook editor, played varsity tennis, and was in journalism, no one talked to me about a good four year college and what I could accomplish considering all my curriculums and strengths I had…Which is why when AVID started, I wanted to make sure students who are eligible and want to work hard and have the opportunity to be a first generation student, whose parents might have came to this country for a better life, were granted the opportunity to a great education. I wanted to be the person I wish I had growing up in guiding them through the college system.”

When asked what he personally brings to the table for the students, Velasco says, “I would say my ability to relate to students. I would have loved to have been in an AVID program when I was in high school, and the only reason why I ended up at UC Santa Barbara in the first place was because one of my counselors from my junior college saw my transcript, called me in and said ‘Why aren’t you at a four-year university, given your transcript and what you’ve done?’ And I said ‘I don’t know, how do I do that?’ She gave me a road map, and I remember I applied to many universities after that conversation and was accepted by every single one of them…I do not think I would have done it without her support, so because of her I’m trying to be that person that believes in my students and tells them ‘If I can do it, you can do it.’” 

Senior Ana Reyes says, “Mr. Velasco is honestly my school dad. I’ve had so many conversations with him about college, personal situations and he always finds the right words to make me feel like I can genuinely become someone later in life after high school. I’m not personally in the AVID program, but I know friends who are and we can all always agree that Mr. Velasco is the best person to exist and has such a welcoming heart to all students, and is going to be your biggest cheerleader.” 

The Santa Barbara Unified School District featured Velasco on Instagram on Oct. 4. They honored him on his contributions that “are vital to the success of our district.” He continues to be an amazing teacher for SBHS students throughout his 23 years of teaching, and constantly shows his support amongst all his students. The AVID program is, “A familia. That is such a key point in what we do, to ensure we are all family, which is why I will always say #AVIDFamilia. As a teacher we’re also their advocates, coaches, and do the heavy lifting to support everyone and their family,” says Velasco. “One of my biggest joys about being a teacher at SBHS is getting messages or emails from past students who graduated and tell me they’re going onto grad school and starting a career that they’re going to strive and be happy in, which is all I ever want from my students, to ensure their happiness and success.”