by Veronica Murillo
Staff Writer
Miguel Segovia breaks the barriers. He has proven, in spite of what his teachers and counselors told him, that children from inner-city neighborhoods can attend Ivy League schools.
Segovia's transcripts and accomplishments match those of any Harvard graduate, but Segovia is not graduating from Harvard. Rather, he will graduate magna cum laude this spring from the University of Houston with a bachelor's degree in English, with university honors and honors in English.
He's been accepted to more than three Ivy League schools in pursuit of a doctoral degree. He's been awarded 21 scholarships and honors throughout his college career.
"Just because [people] go to Ivy League schools doesn't mean they're smarter. Other things factor in," Segovia said.
"I'm very confident in my skills because I have been trained very well in the English department at UH."
He also said his Honors College classes have helped him in his college career.
"The Honors College's small class discussion has given me a sense of know how to converse well with others, how to take criticism and form ideas in conversation with others," Segovia said.
He said he learned how to think tactfully and respond to questions so that others wouldn't dismantle what he said.
Segovia graduated from Charles H. Milby High School in 1991. He said although some teachers were inspirational, most counselors weren't concerned with students' needs.
He was put in remedial classes although some of his teachers said he didn't belong there. He said he originally planned to attend Rice University after graduation, but was discouraged from doing so by his counselors.
"My [counselors] told me I didn't have it in me," Segovia said.
To add to those problems, Segovia's family wanted him to work instead of continuing his education. The lack of faith from Segovia's counselors and parents pushed him to "turn that rage around" and "turn it into something positive."
Segovia overcame and went beyond what many would consider successful. He received many awards and scholarships, including the Barnes and Noble Bookstores full tuition scholarship, the Boston College Full Tuition Fellowship, the Khristen Shepler Prize and the senior English Merit Award in 1997. In addition, he was an auditor for an English critical reading and writing class at Rice in the Fall 1992 semester.
Segovia's original dream was to study art. He had a taste of that dream when he visited the Picasso Museum in Paris as one of eight people selected to participate in The Honors College's Winter Program in France.
Robert Zaretsky, assistant professor of modern and classical languages at UH, said Segovia was chosen for the program because of his love of literature and painting.
"He can speak with a lot of passion," Zaretsky said. "Miguel is very open, extroverted, curious and interested."
Segovia has also had the chance to share his experiences and wisdom with a new generation of inner-city school children while tutoring and mentoring junior high students in English and math in a summer program at Lulac Service Center in the summer of 1995.
"He's very patient and bright. He's closer to the (children's age), so he's able to work with them. (The children) are able to open up," said Rosanne Blanco, director of Lulac.
Segovia also worked with inner-city children at Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass. The academy is geared toward gifted children from wealthy backgrounds, but also added a special program to tutor gifted inner-city children.
Segovia was a teacher's assistant for the English section of the program. After graduation from UH, Segovia plans to work toward a Ph.D. in English and later become a college professor.
In the distant future, he said he plans to further expand his knowledge in law.