Eladio Bobadilla grew up in a tiny adobe house in Mexico. The nearest bathroom was 100 yards away … in his backyard. He didn’t speak a word of English until his family moved to Central California, where his father found steady but backbreaking work. Eladio was 11 and had never dreamed he could do anything for a living other than pick grapes like his dad.
He barely finished high school. Fortunately, he heard about Weber State University while serving in the U.S. Navy. The year he graduated, Eladio was named WSU’s Crystal Crest Scholar of the Year.
“Along the way, people told me I’d never go to college. But at Weber State, everyone encouraged me. They knew my story and supported my dreams. They didn’t just say, ‘We hope you do well.’ They said, ‘You will do well, and we will get you to where you want to be.’”