SAN ANTONIO – Gustavo de la Fuente comes from a small town in the Rio Grande Valley. He was raised by a single mother who immigrated from Mexico when she was a little girl. “It was really difficult for her, quite honestly, for her raising us. But she really persevered and she gave us all the options she could that she didn’t have.” Gustavo said.
Gustavo never thought about going to college and that his initial plan was to enlist in the Army but it was his sister who inspired him to seek out higher educational opportunities. He was awarded a full ROTC scholarship to Texas A&M San Antonio and now, he is graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Criminology.
During his last semester at Texas A&M San Antonio, Gustavo interned at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute in Washington, D.C.
After graduation he will be commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, but he said he has bigger plans for the future.
“I would like to work for like a three-letter agency, whether it be CIA or FBI. And I’ve always seen myself within that aspect.” Gustavo said.
Speech communication lecturer Megan Pope said Gustavo stood his ground, put his feet in the sand and claimed his spot.
“Gustavo is going to run for office,” Pope said. “I thoroughly expect him to be maybe like a state legislator and then you make his way up to D.C.”
The advice Gustavo wants to give to everyone who has dreams but are not confident enough: “just be audacious.”
“Like the president of our university says, just be audacious, be ambitious, be dedicated, never let go of that dream that you have.”
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