Making it Count at Portland State
Luis Patron Diaz has taken everything from his upbringing and turned it into a mission for his future. And for him, education is the key.
Luis Patron Diaz was a 12-year-old boy living with his family in Mexico when his mother, suffering the recent loss of her husband and wanting to protect her family from violent drug cartels, moved the family north. They settled in Woodburn, a heavily Hispanic agricultural community near Salem, and she did all she could to support them.
“There were four kids in the family and Mom was determined to give us a better life,” he said. “Mom did housecleaning, farming, factory work — you name it. She wanted us to have a roof.”
Now 29, Patron Diaz has taken everything from his upbringing and turned it into a mission for his future. And for him, education is the key.
As a senior in Portland State’s School of Business, Patron Diaz decided to specialize in finance. Money was tight growing up, so he has a special appreciation for its value.
“When I realized I could learn about how money works, its impact on people’s lives and how to manage it, that was for me,” he said.
He also has a strong interest in law, and is applying to some of the top law schools in the country. He sees himself practicing corporate law or doing work in government policy. But what really piqued his interest was seeing the contrast between the legal system in the United States and what he observed in Mexico.
“I really admire our criminal justice system in America,” he says. “In Mexico, the criminal justice system is nothing. If you have a couple of dollars, you buy the police off; money dictates who gets justice or not. When Mom brought us up here, I saw how the system kept people accountable and safe.”
It took time for Patron Diaz to get to this point in his education only because he spent much of his time working to help his family. He did customer service, landscaping and painting, eventually becoming a regional manager for Subway restaurants in Portland. He tried working full-time while going to Portland Community College until he decided that education had to come first. He got his associate degree at PCC, quit Subway and transferred to Portland State.
Scholarships helped to make it possible for Patron Diaz to focus on school, but because of his status as a Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals (DACA) student, he was not eligible for federal loans or grants to supplement additional costs. This year, just a few credits shy of graduation, he ran out of options.
"Support from donors literally changed my life."
“Knowing that you’re so close to finishing and not being able to get there was a horrible feeling.”
That’s when he applied for hardship funds through the School of Business, microgrants designed to ensure students can cover unexpected expenses. Patron Diaz applied for and received a $1,600 microgrant to help cover his remaining tuition bill — and was able to stay on track to graduate and apply for law school.
“Support from donors literally changed my life,” Patron Diaz said.
Patron Diaz sees more to his college experience than just personal ambition. One of the reasons he’s pursuing an education is to be an example to his siblings and encourage them to go to college, but also to see beyond himself to some greater role.
“For me, it’s about learning who we are,” he said. “We have a bigger purpose in this world."