The American Dream: 2008 Version
Rafael Lopez, right, with his brother and his mom (CREDIT: L.A. Daily News)
Incoming freshman Rafael Lopez's family, (his dad is a mechanic and his mom is a cleaning woman/housekeeper), is profiled in this article in today's L.A. Daily News.
I love these kinds of stories and thank God for athletics at Columbia, because without it, they would be even fewer and further between.
posted by Jake @ 6:44:00 PM
16 comments
16 Comments:
Amazing!!! It is not an easy job being a working mom, but this lady sets the bar. Congrats to the entire family! No doubt all their hard work will continue to pay off. This is a great story to read for people who talk about eliminating real sports. Anyone who doesn't believe that the skills learned in contact team sports don't better the overall person then they certainly don't know much about the teamwork required to play football and basketball. These kids have learned how to budget their time and focus their energy as all high achieving student athletes must do! Our world is better place with this type person. My hat is off to them!!!
Here's to Lupe and Rafael Lopez, Sr. for Parents of the Year. Great uplifiting story! Go Lions!
It's always great to read a story like this. And such stories also always remind me of the differences between Europe, where this likely would NEVER happen, and America.
rs
Jake, I think you got your left-right wrong in the photo. Isn't that Rafael up close on the right?
I did! Fixing now...
What a great story. It shows what hard work and dedication can lead to. My hat is off to the whole family.
One question - the article mentions "academic scholarships." I didn't these were provided inthe Ivy League.
Academic scholarships, when they are warranted, are even given out to athletes. There are no ATHLETIC scholarships in the Ivies.
A lot of people, and even newd reporters, will mistakenly call someone's financial aid package a "scholarship." A family with a modest income and two children in college will receive financial aid that is either 100% or very close to it. Columbia does have scholarships but they usually replace the financial aid you have received anyway. Once CU told us what our son's financial package would be, he was sent letter asking him apply for the many "scholarships" that are available. He also was informed that getting one of these scholarships would have no impact on the total amount of support he would receive. All that would happen is that some of his aid would be relabeled the such and such scholarship. The only benefit to the student is that they get to use this "scholarship" as a bragging point on their future resume.
Jake, are you sure? I thought it was totally need based financial aid with no special scholarship program other than outside scholarships. Judging by their story I would guess that these two boys are going to get 100 percent financial aid. That's a great testament to academic acheivment no matter what your economic standing is. Hard work and dedication can still get you out of tough economic backgrounds. I'm sure we have other boys on the team from similar blue collar families.
The post about calling "financial aid" a scholarship is exactly what we've been told in our meetings with coaches and administrators. We've heard over and over again that everything is "need-based."
When do students find out what their financial aid package will be?
Guy's should have a pretty good idea of what their package is at the time they visit and commit to Columbia. Usually you'll meet with coach Wilson and a financial aid adviser who should have a package typed up for you. They will send you and official financial aid package later with your admissions forms.
BBALL Update:
Friday was a disaster. We lost a first half lead with a stretch of 8 turnovers ,7 fouls and 5 missed shots! (There was a total loss of poise and composure,as well.)
Saturday night we found a player! Ampin ruled with several slam dunks and a season high in both points and minutes played. The team came back from a first half shooting slump and played WITH composure and confidence to take the lead and finish the Yalies off.
Friday night raises a troublesome question: we came up small in two Ivy games against the two best teams in the league and got blown out at home; we barely lost to both teams away. We have blown out a few teams on the road (Yale) and have barely won at home. So what gives? Is JJ, a great guy and a good recruiter, limited in developing his talent, or is that unfair? We just don't seem to be well coached in some of our home games. And yes, from what I have seen of Ampin, he is a monster.
Jake, you might want to check the post by "dinos" below. It may be a virus plant. "Look here"-type messages often are.
Last night was a textbook lesson in how CU basketball should be played. Ampim looks scary for next season, and coupled with Grimes and Scott and Matsui, maybe even Crimmins at center.....
To be fair to Yale, however, on paper they have a very talented team, and for most of the first half and part of the second they looked it. They cut the Lions' lead to 2 at one point, it was a closely run game. Bauman was terrific too, but 4 clutch free throws by Mack Montgomery are what truly iced the game. We're really going to miss Bauman, but I have some hope now that next year's team will be at least as big a threat to take the Ivy League as this year's version looked pre-season.
Is an NIT bid something Bollinger and Murphy would consider? Especially if Brown got one too? Anyone have an opinion here? Isn't there supposedly to be a third post-season tourney, too? At least as best I recall, the NCAA agreed to that. It'd be a shame when the Lions are playing so well (5 out of the last 6 league games is nothing to dismiss) to suddenly lop the season off at the end of Ivy play. Bauman and the others deserve better.
rs
Attn bloggers: the same jerk that posted the worm laden "look here" post above under the name Dino also posted the same dangerous worm on the "Tad gets company" article under the name "Ivan". Thank God my virus program caught and identified what it classified as a dangerous worm. My bet it's a Penn fan. Jake please help eliminate this garbage!
Columbia's 1961 Ivy League Championship Football Team, captained by Bill Campbell, is an obvious nominee for the Columbia Hall of Fame in the "Team" category and a number of outstanding players on the Championship Team, including Bob Asack, Lee Black, Bill Campbell, Tom Haggerty, Ed Little, Tom Vassell and Russ Warren, deserve consideration as individual nominees for the Columbia Hall of Fame.
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