Esteban Miranda: Arzamendi’s faith in me helped me (and others) succeed

I graduated from Fresno State in 2013 with a major in business entrepreneurship. I was one of the top business students that year and was awarded the John Jacobson Award for Entrepreneurship. I own Miranda’s Thrift Shop and have been able to open five successful stores. A large part of my success derives from support by a great teacher, Gary Arzamendi. He always puts students first.

As a child, I didn’t like going to school. I was shy and didn’t know much English. Mr. A gave me the confidence other teachers never did. He treated me like I had no disadvantages. Mr. A never saw any of us as statistics – Latinos with field-working parents who lived on the south side of Merced. Mr. A embraced who we were, who I was, and that allowed me to build confidence.

I see the work Mr. A has done on the Merced College Board. I know him as a man of the community, dedicated to student success. I have no doubt Mr. A is the right person for the job. I encourage you to join me and vote for Gary Arzamendi’s re-election.

This story was originally published November 3, 2016 at 1:24 PM with the headline "Esteban Miranda: Arzamendi’s faith in me helped me (and others) succeed."