Dario Jasso

Simi High graduate Dario Jasso exudes a sense of maturity far beyond his 19 years. But it's not his focused and motivated demeanor that sets him apart from his class. Rather, it is the place that those traits are borne out of, one that has made him committed to creating a better life than the one given to him.

Originally born in Guanajuato, Mexico, Dario now lives in Moorpark with his older brother and sister-in-law. He first came to Simi Valley when he was 13 years old and knew hardly any English.

"The first time I went to a class over here I was scared; I didn't know what to say," said Dario, who attended Valley View Middle School.

After junior high, Dario moved to Texas for six months before returning home to Mexico to see his family. Dario is one of seven siblings, three of whom live in the U.S.

He stayed in Mexico for two years and continued going to school while also working in agriculture alongside his father. Dario was 17 when he came back to Simi and enrolled at SVHS as a junior.

As a nonnative speaker, Dario participated in the school's English Language Learner program. Lyliam Samayoa-Herrera, who worked with Dario as an instructional aide, described him as a quiet, hardworking guy who always did extra credit, despite already having good grades.

"He will get somewhere," she said. "You can see the hunger for learning."

While he was getting better at English, Dario served as a teacher's aide and a peer-tutor his senior year to help his fellow students improve their Spanish.

"I really enjoyed doing it because I helped other students learn and understand my language and culture," he said.

Dario worked 30 to 35 hours a week busing tables at Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill in Northridge while still going to class and completing his homework.

This impressed SamayoaHerrera.

"Everything he's done his senior year he's done because he's provided it for himself," she said. " To me he is an inspiration for so many other kids."

Dario explained he had to work in order to pay for clothes, food, rent and a car—something he said he never dreamed of owning when he lived in Mexico. But Dario's ability to make money became even more critical earlier this year when his mother was diagnosed with kidney cancer and underwent surgery to remove a tumor.

Though it is difficult to not be able to see his mom, and he worries that the worst might happen while he is away, Dario said he knows that he is more helpful to his family by staying in California. Every month he sends money home to help pay medical expenses.

Dario credits his parents for instilling in him the value of education since, even though the family didn't have much money, his mother never let him miss a day of school.

Dario plans on attending Moorpark College to get his associate degree in engineering. He is also saving money so that he can go to a professional mechanics school and open his own shop.

"In this country you can be whatever you want to be if you work hard for it," he said. "Mexico doesn't give you a lot of opportunities; that's why I'm trying to get all the opportunities I can."