Fir st-Generation College Graduate Jorge Villegas Ruiz Overcomes Langua ge Bar rier s to Achieve Bachelor's Deg r ee in Spanish

The Villegas Ruiz family celebrating Jorge s graduation at Arizona State University on May 8th, 2023

By Manny Sandoval

In a remarkable achievement, Jorge Villegas Ruiz, a high school alum from Fontana, graduated from Arizona State University on May 8th, 2023, with a bachelor's degree in Spanish As a first-generation college student and an immigrant, Villegas Ruiz faced numerous challenges on his educational journey, including language barriers and financial constraints

Villegas Ruiz candidly shared his experience: "Being an immigrant, I struggled when I learned English And when I learned English, I forgot Spanish I received a D in Spanish class in high school because I was placed in native Spanish speakers, but the curriculum did not align with my language skills "

Determined to make a difference and bridge the gap for future generations, Villegas Ruiz decided to pursue a degree that would allow him to draw from his personal experiences by mentoring students experiencing those same language barriers and continue to pursue his passion as a soccer coach

His motivation to help others drove him to develop his language skills further "Many of the words we learned were more neutral Spanish, but back home and in the community, we speak Latin American Spanish," Villegas Ruiz explained Eager to expand his impact, he revealed his plans to pursue a master's degree in bilingual education and a teaching credential from National University in La Jolla, CA, starting next month

Villegas Ruiz's educational journey was with setbacks He initially enrolled at National University in 2016 for his undergraduate studies but had to put his education on hold in late 2018 to focus on work and finances When he returned in 2021, his program was no longer available Undeterred, Villegas Ruiz persevered and found

Community News

Thomas A Archuleta Sr passed away June 10, 2023, at Loma Linda University Medical Center after a brief illness He was born June 23, 1938, in Riverside to Jacob and Jessie Archuleta

He graduated from Colton High School in 1956 and joined the U S Air Force in 1958 He was stationed at Oku Shiri Island AB, Japan, as a Ground Radio Operator, and later transferred to Lowry AFB in Denver, Colo

His career in the Civil Service began in 1960 when he accepted the position of Missile Maintenance Technician at Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino In 1976, he became the first Budget Officer with the 452nd Air Mobility Wing at March AFB in Riverside County He served the base with distinction for 34 years, retiring in 1994 Tom was a professional trumpet player for local bands until 1980 A lifelong Colton resident, he dedicated more than 30 years of volunteer service to the community He served the Colton Terrace Little League Cardinals and Spirit teams as manager and coach and managed the Pony, Colt and Palomino baseball

Arizona State University, where he completed his degree through an online program

Reflecting on the unique circumstances brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, Villegas Ruiz observed, "Unfortunately and fortunately, due to COVID-19, many colleges offered online programs I would recommend to other Latinos who may be in a similar situation to myself to look into community colleges as they are cheaper and offer many online programs Some even provide free tuition and books now, costing only a quarter of university education "

The determined graduate emphasized that his accomplishment was not solely his own "I wouldn't have been able to do this without my family," Villegas Ruiz acknowledged gratefully

He sincerely appreciated his mother, Maria Ruiz, for her unwavering support since day one Additionally, Villegas Ruiz credited his older brother, Inland Empire Community News' Bill and Gloria Macias Harrison, and Armando Fresquez, head coach of the men's soccer program at Jurupa Hills High School, for pushing him to overcome his time/scheduling conflicts as a part-time coach and pursue his dreams Villegas Ruiz's aspiration to become a soccer coach remains unwavering He shared, "Wherever I get hired as a teacher, I hope to become a soccer coach too " With a new chapter on the horizon, Villegas Ruiz is set to start his master's program in bilingual education in July, which he will complete online

As a first-generation college graduate, Villegas Ruiz sees his achievement as a positive trend for his younger brothers, one of whom graduated last year and now attends California State University, San Bernardino Villegas Ruiz's success serves as an inspiration, showcasing the transformative power of education and determination to overcome obstacles leagues His love for the Colton community continued and he served as the city's Planning and Utility Commissioner until 2018 Tom was preceded in death by his parents and his brothers, Robert Martinez of Casa Blanca and Raymond Archuleta of Highgrove

He is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Alice; brother David of Colton; sons Tom Jr (Cindy) of Grand Terrace, Eddie of Colton and Adam (Jenna) of Varna, Ill ; grandchildren Joe Hernandez (Marisa) of Morton Grove, Ill , Tom III (Alicia) of Riverside, Sara of Grand Terrace, and Amy, Monica and Luke of Varna, Ill ; great-grandchildren Odetta and Apollo Hernandez of Morton Grove, Ill , and Maxine Elias of Grand Terrace; and many nieces and nephews Visitation is scheduled for 4:30 p m to 8 p m Wednesday, June 28, at Montecito Memorial Park & Mortuary's Main Valley View Chapel, 3530 E Washington St , Colton, with a Rosary at 6 p m Funeral Services will be held at 10 a m Thursday, June 29, at Immaculate Conception Church, 1106 N La Cadena Dr , Colton, with burial to follow at Montecito Memorial Park Cemetery Montecito Memorial Park and Mortuary 909-825-3024

Notice Inviting Sealed Bids

The City of Eastvale (City) is soliciting proposals from consulting firms to provide a comprehensive evaluation of Americans w th Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility compl ance in three areas: City polic es and practices and City buildings and pub ic rights-of-way facilities The ADA Transition Plan will provide the City of Eastvale a multi-phased roadmap to efficiently mitigate the deficiencies and achieve ADA compl ance, which w ll be done in subsequent phases This project w ll consist of conducting a self-evaluation and preparing an ADA Transit on Plan to include identified physical barriers to accessibi ity the methods to improve accessibility the estimated costs to remediating the identified barr ers and a schedule to ach eve ADA compliance Location: Eastva e Riverside County, California

Agency Name: City of Eastvale Bid Number: ENG20230613

Project Name: Eastvale ADA Se f-Evaluation and Trans tion Plan

Due Date: Thursday Ju y 13 2023, 2:00 pm

FEDERAL FUNDING

FEDERAL FUNDING CLAUSE: This project is being financed w th Community Development Block Grant funds from the U S Department of Hous ng and Urban Deve opment (24 CFR Part 570) and subject to certain Federal requirements including the Uniform A d m i n i s t r a t i v e Requirements, Cost Principles and Aud t Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR Part 200) Information pertaining to the Federal requ rements is on fi e with the County of Riverside Department of Housing and Workforce Solutions Q U E S T I O N N A and late charges thereon, as provided n the note(s) advances under the terms of the Deed of Trust nterest thereon fees charges and expenses of the Trustee for the total amount (at the time of the in tial publication of the Notice of Sale) reasonably estimated to be set forth below The amount may be greater on the day of sale BENEFICIARY MAY ELECT TO BID LESS THAN THE TOTAL AMOUNT DUE Trustor(s): LANA D BEALS A WIDOW Recorded: can purchase the property if you match the last and highest bid placed at the trustee auct on If you are an el gible bidder " you may be able to purchase the property if you exceed the ast and highest bid placed at the trustee auction There are three steps to exercising this right of purchase s ble for paying off all iens senor to the lien be ng auctioned off before you can receive c ear title to the property You are encouraged to investigate the existence priority and size of outstanding iens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder s off ce or a title nsurance company either of which may charge you a fee for this information If you consult either of these resources you should be aware that the same ender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on th s notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civi Code The law requires that nformation about trustee sale postponements be made available to you and to the public as a courtesy to those not present at the sale If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed and if applicable the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property you may call 916-939-0772 for informat on regarding the trustee s sale or visit this internet website h t t p : / / w w w q u a i t y l o a n c o m , using the file number assigned to this foreclosure by the Trustee: CA-22-946481-BF

Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the schedu ed sale may not immediate y be ref ected in the telephone information or on the nternet website The best way to verify postponement nformation is to attend the scheduled sale NOTICE TO TENANT: You may have a right to purchase th s property after the trustee auction pursuant to Section 2924m of the buyer " you

First 48 hours after the date of the trustee sa e you can ca l 916-939-0772 or visit this internet website h t t p : / / w w w q u a l i t y l o a n c o m , using the file number assigned to this forec osure by the Trustee: CA-22-946481-BF to f nd the date on which the trustee s sa e was held the amount of the ast and highest bid and the address of the trustee Second, you must send a written notice of intent to place a bid so that the trustee receives it no more than 15 days after the trustee s sale Third you must subm t a bid so that the trustee rece ves it no more than 45 days after the trustee s sale If you think you may qualify as an "eligible tenant buyer or eligible bidder, you should cons der contacting an attorney or approprate real estate professional immediately for advice regarding this potential right to purchase NOTICE TO PROSPECTIVE OWNEROCCUPANT: Any prospective owner-occupant as defined in Section 2924m of the Cal forn a Civil Code who is the last and highest bidder at the trustee s sa e shall provide the required affidavit or declaration of eligib lity to the auctioneer at the trustee s sa e or shall have it delivered to QUALITY LOAN SERVICE CORPORATION by 5 p m on the next business day following the trustee s sale at the address set forth in the below signature block The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liabi ity for any incorrectness of the property address or other common designation if any shown herein If no street address or other common designation s shown directions to the ocation of the property may be obtained by sending a written request to the beneficary with n 10 days of the date of f rst publication of this Notice of Sale If the sale is set aside for any reason, including if the Trustee is unable to convey t t e the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the monies paid to the Trustee This sha be the Purchaser s sole and exclusive remedy The purchaser sha l have no further recourse aga nst the Trustor the Trustee the Beneficiary the Benef ciary s Agent or the Benefic ary s Attorney If you have previously been discharged through bankruptcy you may have been released of personal liabil ty for this loan in which case this letter s intended to exercise the note