Taking Charge of Their Future

 

In the spring of 2020, Tim-Andreix Lazaro became one of nearly 9,000 students at Cuyamaca College who were forced to pause in-person classes and continue their studies from home. Though the dropout rate in the United States was on a steady decline pre-pandemic, college enrollment sank a staggering 25% as a direct result of COVID-19 that year. This didn’t stop Lazaro from continuing to pursue his education in his preferred format.

 

Business as Usual

As difficult as this transition may have been in the beginning, Lazaro was starting to gain some insights into his creative process and learning style. He preferred being on campus, as his home wasn’t necessarily conducive to studying. “Since the early days of the pandemic, I headed to campus nearly every morning to take advantage of the free Wi-Fi. I’d set up a table, work until around 6 pm, and repeat the process again the next day,” he said.

 

The Importance of Representation

Prior to enrolling in Cuyamaca in 2018, Lazaro was always on the move. When he was four-years-old, he immigrated to the United States from the Philippines.  He lived in San Francisco for two years before relocating to Texas. Lazaro lived in Texas until 2008, until ultimately settling in San Diego.

 

Upon arrival, he noticed San Diego was home to a large Filipinx community. As someone who didn’t want to be disconnected from their culture and roots, Lazaro was thrilled to be surrounded by other Filipinx-Americans who were proud of where they came from.

 

He shares, “As a queer, non-binary person of color, representation has always been important to me. My community needs their stories to be heard, told, and written.”

 

Finding their Passion at Cuyamaca

Over the years, Lazaro developed a passion for writing and wants to use his education to seek social justice for queer, indigenous, people of color.

 

Currently, he is pursuing an associate degree in English at Cuyamaca with plans to transfer to San Diego State University in the fall of 2022 and major in comparative literature.

 

“I love analyzing and deconstructing the works of authors across genres. I always try to examine what the author is trying to show the reader through the tone, imagery, and dialogue.”

 

Lazaro notes that after graduating from San Diego State, he aspires to write reviews for films, documentaries, and drama series.