Cisco Ortiz went to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado intending to become a pilot and a college football player.
But two and a half years later, he learned his difficulty distinguishing between greens and reds would disqualify him as a pilot. A shoulder injury ended his football journey.
He transferred to Tri-State University (now Trine) in Angola and graduated with a criminal justice degree. He embarked on a career in juvenile probation and as a criminal justice professor. Along the way, he earned a science in management degree from Indiana Wesleyan. He’s now the dean of students and community relations at Trine.
“I think the biggest key message I share with young people (in Latino’s Count) is more than likely you’re going to face a hardship or barrier,” says Ortiz, 51. “Don’t let that stop you. Think of a way to get beyond that.”
As one of Latino’s Count’s mentors, he tells students he learned early on about overcoming barriers. His mother and father divorced when he was seven. He watched his mother work multiple jobs to help support the family’s five children while also attending college and earning a bachelor’s degree.
If his mom could do it, he remembers thinking, I can do it.
“I saw my mom work fulltime,” he says, “and yet she’s putting us kids to bed and studying until 2 or 3 in morning. I learned from both of my parents: You set a goal and you work for it.”
One of the initial goals was to go to college, but there was a potential barrier to that, too. “I remember my parents talking about we don’t have the money to send you to college, so hopefully your grades will get you a scholarship.”
His appointment to the Air Force Academy was essentially a scholarship that covered all of his education-related costs.
In Latino’s Count, he says, “I get to sit at a table with a group of eight to 10 students and talk to them about not letting barriers stop you from achieving your goals and dreams.”
At Trine, he helped a group of Hispanic and Latino students form the Hispanic Organization for Latino Appreciation (HALO). The group meets regularly to plan events that raise awareness about Hispanic and Latino culture.
Ortiz, married and the father for four children, says Latino’s Count mentors are important because their stories serve as examples of success.
“If students can see people like them with similar upbringings make it as the dean of students or the CEO of a business, it can be a motivation and inspiration for them to work hard and seize opportunities.
“I would not be where I am today if people hadn’t given me opportunities,” he says. “You get an opportunity when someone says, ‘Here’s a path and here are the resources to be successful.’”