When CI senior Emilio Ruiz was 11 years old, he lost his mom and his brother in a gang-related shooting.

“At first I didn’t know how to feel about it. For about the first week after it happened, I still didn’t believe that they were gone. It didn’t hit me until the day of their viewing,” said Ruiz. “I remember walking into the room where my mom and brother were and I broke down crying. It was hard for me to go and look at them, but I still did. I stared at them in disbelief. I cried until I couldn’t cry anymore, wishing that it was just a horrible nightmare.”

Ruiz had a close relationship with both his mom and his brother. His mom worked a lot and he hated seeing how tired she would be when she got home. He remembers telling her that when he grew up she wouldn’t have to work anymore and that he was going to buy her a big house with a big back yard and a pool.

His relationship with his brother was just like that of normal siblings. They shared a room and even though they fought, they loved each other a lot.

“I remember when I was younger I went out of town with my aunt and when I came back he (his brother) told me, ‘Milio, why didn’t you tell me you were leaving. I missed you’ and it made me really happy because he had never told me anything like that,” said Ruiz.

His family and friends played an important role in helping him cope with the loss. His friends, who are like brothers to him, helped him keep his mind off of things. His family helped him by staying strong and talking to him.

“They knew it affected me negatively and since I wouldn’t talk to them about it they made me go to therapy. I didn’t like it so I only went for a few months because I hated talking about it so I lied to my family and told them I was okay,” said Ruiz. “I just needed my family and I’m glad to say that I’m fortunate enough to have a family that loves and supports each other as much as they do.”

There were times when Ruiz felt like he was going down the wrong path and other times, he felt like he was already on it, but he would always get back on track. He saw what his brother was turning into and that in the end, it cost him his life as well as his mom’s.

“I don’t think anyone should have to go through what my family went through, said Ruiz. “I didn’t want them to have to go through it again so I changed for the better. I set goals for myself and now I am on the road to accomplish them.”

One of his goals has been to graduate from CI and attend college, which he is currently in the process of doing. He has chosen to attend Chico State to study mechanical engineering.

During the application process, he received help from his academic enrichment classes and his counselor, Mrs. Liliana Castellanos.

“My academic enrichment classes helped me a lot. If it wasn’t for Mr. Grennan and Mr. Gillian, I wouldn’t have applied to college. They really helped by actually giving the class time to apply for college in the math lab. That class really pushed me to achieve my academic goals,” said Ruiz.

Mrs. Castellanos helped him by answering his questions about the CSU application process and by providing him with letters of recommendation for scholarships.

She believes that he will do great things in life as well as become a very successful mechanical engineer.

“What I truly admire about Emilio is that he finds the positive in every obstacle that he faces,” said Mrs. Castellanos. “Being aware of his story and seeing everything that he has accomplished makes me very proud of him. Emilio is a true inspiration to others, including myself.”