My name is Domingo Carrasquel. I was born and raised in Venezuela. I come from a baseball family. My last name in Venezuela is synonymous with baseball. My dream was to use my baseball skills to compete for a baseball scholarship in the United States. To be able to play, maybe get drafted, and complete a degree in business as a first-generation college graduate.  Education was so important to my parents and to me. But I had a small problem, two actually. One, I couldn’t speak English, and two, according to my dad, I was a mama’s boy.  He worried that adapting to a different culture and living by myself wasn’t going to be an easy journey. I have to thank my parents for their trust and support. My parents chose Indiana University for me to start taking English as a Second Language courses to help me to get ready for the TOEFL. This is a test international students have to pass to show they dominate the English language enough to participate in college level courses. When I arrived there, it was a culture shock: a big campus, a lot of students. After few months I was able to pass the TOEFL exam and was offered a baseball scholarship to Indiana University.  Even with the scholarship, the cost was still very high. So, I decided to go back to Venezuela. 

This is when the baseball coach at Indiana University told me about a Community College in Illinois where his best friend was the athletic director and the baseball coach as well.  I ended up getting a full ride baseball scholarship over there. It was the best decision of my life. The Community college setting was just what I needed at that time. The small classes, developmental English classes, professors who knew me by name, my coach and my teammates all made the transition easier.  These things helped me to engage which is the most important thing for a student’s success, especially in the first year. I met so many adult students, 25 and older, who were very determined to improve their life and I related to them by the fact that I was a first-generation college student. And even though their first language was English, they were taking developmental English classes with me and they had a goal too. Some of them were pursuing associates and certificates with a high demand, some were taking few classes to get a raise at their jobs, and others were using the community college as a bridge to complete a 4-year degree, which was my goal too. After two years my English improved, and I had a better understanding of the American culture and how the education system works in the USA, which prepared me to complete my goal to earn a bachelor’s degree. Community colleges are open admission, cost effective, accredited, all things that were important to me then and now. My first language being Spanish, I used this to my advantage. I was the only Hispanic in the entire town my freshman year, so I was able to get a Spanish tutoring job on campus. 

During my sophomore year I was contacted by the Pittsburgh Pirates to be drafted in the late rounds with a small signing bonus. After discussing it with my dad, I decided to turn it down.  They wouldn't include education expenses in the contract in case I didn't make it and I didn't want to lose the opportunity to finish my degree.

My cousin was playing baseball for Southern University in Baton Rouge and told me what good baseball weather you have down here. After early morning practice in February in Illinois, the south seemed like a good idea.  I took a 19-hour train ride down from Illinois.  I had the opportunity to play on a championship team at a Division 1 school, and graduate with a degree in Business Administration.  I married Louisiana girl, and got to work, originally as a recruiter for Southern University.  I enjoyed working for my alma mater, but where I really found my place was in the community college environment.  After several years and a couple of different organizations, I found myself at BRCC.  There I got to play several roles, recruiter, International Student Services Coordinator (Principal Designated School Official), and CTE Retention & Special Populations Specialist.  During my years and through my various roles, I was able to work with young people and adults that were taking that early step in their adult educational journey.

Now through records management with LCTCS, I still get to help former and current students as they are transitioning to new jobs, furthering their education at other institutions, etc.  So often those needs at the beginning of an educational journey can be met at the community college level.