Impacting diversity through philanthropy The Gonzales Family For many of us, the story of coming to the United States is one of opportunity and sacrifice. We all know families whose journeys began with parents or grandparents coming to this country, and the Bay Area especially, to make a new life and to live the American Dream. Eric and Amparo Gonzales’s story is one of many who persevered and capitalized on their education to build a family and better their communities. Eric, born and raised in Vallejo, was a student-athlete with big dreams of playing football in college. Amparo spent her childhood in Fairfield after emigrating to the Bay Area with her parents from the Philippines. Both Eric and Amparo attended public schools and would be the first in their families to attend college, before they met at Solano Community College where Eric was studying business and playing football. If he hadn’t broken his ankle, life would have turned out very differently. This injury was a turning point and instead of relying on athletics, Eric turned towards academics. With his father’s GI benefits, he transferred to UC Davis to finish his degree in Managerial and Agricultural Economics. After graduating, Eric & Amparo were married at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Napa. The newlyweds bought their first home in Green Valley and soon after, their children, Jonas ’20, Nina ’23, and Jace Frank Gutierrez Photography 4 5 FA L L 2 0 2 1
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