Gustavo (Gus) Garcia took the stage to read his ARC metaphorical poem “Another Layer” in July 2016, and he mesmerized the audience with his powerfully-delivered narrative. He discussed growing up in Merced, being raised by immigrant parents who worked tirelessly in the almond fields, and the social and emotional struggles of high school. Gus’s performance led to his being highlighted in a story in the Fresno Bee and left ARC instructors wondering, “Where will Gus take his public speaking ability and incredible poise next?”
The answer isn’t surprising to anyone who was in the audience on Day 38 of Gus’s ARC experience: he co-founded a college debate team, identified funding to transport the team to competitions, and became one of its star debaters. Within a few months of the Merced College debate team’s founding, he and his teammates were already making waves on the national stage. The team was ranked 43rd in the National Parliamentary Debate Association rankings among 250 schools and 14thamong all community colleges in the entire nation. At a national tournament for community college debaters in Daytona Beach this past spring, Gus won 4 out of 6 of his debates. He acknowledged, “I’m very proud of how quickly I learned debate skills to be able to compete on a national level.”
Gus says that he was inspired by ARC to pursue college, be more focused on his studies, and to pursue debate. “ARC helped me realize how much I enjoyed education and academics in general. Before ARC I didn’t really care about my grades. I just thought whatever happens, happens.” He had received failing grades in English his freshman year. “During ARC I realized that I needed to find what I was good at and apply myself.”
As a result of his 40 days backpacking and exploring Yosemite, Gus feels a deep connection to the National Park as well. When asked for a word that he associates with Yosemite, he chose “happiness.” Last year, he even planned and completed a three-day solo backpacking trip in a new part of Yosemite, using the skills he learned during the ARC summer to enjoy solitary time in Yosemite.
Gus has undergone an incredible transformation since his childhood in Merced. He went from a young man who hated to be home alone to one who now pursues opportunities to be alone in nature. From having poor grades in his English classes, he now is a top-ranked college debater with an extraordinary ability to structure and deliver a well-reasoned argument in minutes. We are so excited to see where Gus’s passions and drive will lead him next! Gus is looking forward to a second year of debate competition starting in the fall and then pursuing a bachelor’s degree in economics or political science.
To read Gus’s metaphorical poem, click here.
To see this summer’s ARC participants perform their poems, attend one of our Voices of Youth events. Click here for event details.