The Story of Santa Mora

Unwavering spirit, determination and hope. All of these accolades paint a portrait of Cuesta student Santa Mora – someone who has beat remarkable odds to make her life the best it can be.

After 16 semesters at Cuesta, the 39-year-old Mora is slated to graduate this semester with her Associate Arts degree in Management. At the same time, Morro is currently enrolled at LaVerne University (Cuesta's partner school), where, on a fast track, she plans to earn her BA in Business Administration within 18 months.

But there is more: Mora is also a single mom to two boys and until a few months ago, held down full-time employment as well. With the student load at LaVerne, Mora has now chosen to shoulder part-time work: employed by San Luis Coast Unified School District, Mora is an English Learner’s Aide at Los Osos Middle School. “When I learned about this opening, I thought, ‘Yeah – I’m the right person for this,” says Mora. “I knew how to help these kids, I knew I was going to be able to motivate them. After all, I’ve been through this process myself.”

Indeed she has.

Born and raised in Guerrero, Mexico, Mora is the second of six children whose parents had only gone as far as elementary school. By the time she was 11 years old, Mora and another sister were made completely responsible for their younger siblings so that both of her parents could work full-time to make ends meet. In l993, now living in Los Angeles, the entire family visited relatives in Morro Bay and “Something magical happened when we went to Montana de Oro,” says Mora. “Suddenly we all decided that we had to move here – so we did.”

Mora had completed high school and some college in Mexico, but after immigrating to the United States, realized that higher education could no longer be a priority. But while working at a Central Coast nursing home, Mora overheard another employee talking about Cuesta. “She was talking about ESL, units, majors, things that were unfamiliar to me,” remembers Mora. “But she was 40 years old, working in the laundry room, and I thought, ‘If this lady can go to school, I can, too.’”

Mora only had one objective that first semester at Cuesta: to learn English.
“I wanted to learn to communicate,” she says. “It’s kind of traumatic to know that sometimes you have great ideas – but you’re unable to express them. You have to isolate yourself because you don’t know the language. But I wasn’t in Los Angeles anymore, where even businesses have the responsibility to have bilingual employees.

I knew had to start running, even though I hadn’t even learned to walk yet!”

For Mora, picking up her education at Cuesta made perfect sense.
“In terms of cost, Cuesta is very, very accessible,” says Mora. “At the beginning of my college journey, distance was another great convenience because I was living in Morro Bay.” Mora adds that Cuesta’s classroom sizes were another plus, since she was able to get close attention from Douglas Pillsbury, “Our devoted ESL teacher.”

In Mexico, Mora’s family had run a business and there, she found that she enjoyed working with suppliers, employees and managing the business banking account. During her high school years in Guerrero, Mora also took courses in accounting, administration and public relations. Consequently, working toward her Business Administration degree now makes perfect sense.

Mora knows how she will put her Cuesta education to good use as well: she plans to start her own business in the public services arena. “It’s a good place,” she says, “to serve our bilingual population.”