The life of a struggling student

Lucrecia Sebastian comes to Santa Monica College full time, runs on the SMC track team and works part time at a gym. She lives in one-bedroom apartment in downtown Los Angeles with her parents and five younger. Because she is the oldest child, many of the family’s responsibilities including taking care of her siblings and providing financial support fall on her. The commute to school everyday takes a physical and mental toll on the young athlete who doesn’t have much energy to waste. It takes Sebastian roughly four hours to arrive on campus, involving two different modes of transportation. The only time for Sebastian to be alone and study is when the rest of her family is asleep. Being a multitasking student has slowed the completion of her education, but Sebastian believes if you want to succeed you have to work hard.