Nearly two years ago, I was entering my senior year of high school. By that time, I already had a general idea of what colleges I was going to apply to. Among those, however, was most definitely not University of the Pacific.
Why? Because that particular university was only fifteen minutes away from my house, in my hometown of Stockton, California. I had been to the school on multiple occasions throughout my lifetime, and never once did I consider going there. Like nearly every single other high school student in my area, I didn’t want to go to University of the Pacific because I didn’t want to remain in Stockton any longer.
Fast forward about nine months later, and I’m committing to being a Pacific tiger for the next four years.
The best part is that I do not have any regrets. However, I still have to admit that I was among the group of young adults in Stockton who harbored the same mindset: I have to get out of Stockton because it is an awful city.
Now, I completely reject this way of thinking.
I’m happy that I’m going to school right here in Stockton because I love my city. People hear the name and immediately think of bankruptcy or high crime rates. But I think of a city where the people have persevered to make it magnificent.
The people of Stockton are constantly being shot down and encouraged to leave while they can. Yet there is still such a large majority who want to give back to the city that raised them. The millennials of Stockton have opened up several businesses within the past few years, purely for the sake of giving back to the city. I was fortunate enough to go to school with so many bright students who I know will go on to do amazing things with their lives. Our mayor, Michael Tubbs, overcame a great deal of adversity in his lifetime and now aims to inspire the youth of Stockton to reach their fullest potential. I can see that Stockton’s youth is powerful, motivated, and determined to show how spectacular our city is, all of which I find so admirable.
While I do think that it is wonderful that people want to move beyond Stockton, we need to give credit to the people who have stayed here to make it a better place. I find it so heartbreaking that people are actually ashamed to say that they are from Stockton, because that shows they didn’t learn anything from growing up here. You’re rejecting the city where you bloomed, where the foundation was set for the rest of your life.
Personally, even if I end up moving somewhere else, I want nothing more than to give back to the city that built me. I believe that it is vital for Stockton’s youth to use their capabilities to make things better for the next generation. I am constantly inspired by every single young person in this city. Whether you are the aspiring photographers and filmmakers or one of the students persevering in a STEM field, know that you are among a group of people who will prove success is possible with hard work, no matter what your background is or where you come from.
This is what comes to mind when I think of Stockton pride: the citizens who won’t back down. No matter what the reputation of the city might be, Stockton has brilliant individuals who will prove it wrong again and again. When I think of Stockton pride, I think of my mother, who has lived here her entire life, and who says that she would “never want to live anywhere else.” Is it perfect? No. But it’s home.
Anywhere in California beyond Stockton, you will receive instant judgment when you say where you are from. Regardless, I believe that it is important to have pride in your city. When I think of my hometown, I think of the beautiful diversity that the city maintains, or the integrity of its citizens. I will never be ashamed to say that I am from Stockton, because with any success I gain in the future, I will always know that it started here.
Editor's note: You may have noticed some errors in punctuation or formatting for this article, such as missing apostrophes. This is not the fault of the author, but rather a glitch in our online publication system. Our IT department is working hard to fix this issue, but in the meantime, thank you for your patience and respect for our Creators' hard work.
