STUDENT STORY
KNOW YOUR
MOTIVATION,
HARNESS IT
AND YOU
WILL SUCCEED!
RANDY LEONARD
COLLEGE TRACK OAKLAND ALUMNUS
SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY
PICTURED ABOVE: Randy Leonard College Track Alumni,
Marshall Lott Chief Advocate for College Completion
As a child, I wanted to be an
architect, I was amazed by
the tower cranes erecting
skyscrapers. But, in the sixth
grade, I was diagnosed with
dyslexia and I did not read
until the ninth grade.
on-one daily tutoring, help with answers to all my
homework questions and caring adults who had high
expectations of me. I took school more seriously and
steadily pulled my grades up from a 2.5 GPA to a
3.5 GPA by my senior year. I realized that not only
did I like science classes, but that I was good at them,
changed and my options opened up. I wanted to be
a civil engineer.
I remember vividly one night during my senior year.
My learning disabilities made me think that the
My great grandfather pulled me aside and said,
tall buildings would be as a construction worker.
I want you to become a doctor, so you need to go
I joined College Track as a sophomore in high
I had already applied to college, but that I wanted to
learning disability. At College Track, I had one-
said, “that’s alright, too.” His encouragement meant so
closest I would ever get to my dream of working on
school and with hard work I slowly overcame my
“I don’t want you to be like the rest of these fools.
to college.” I told him that thanks to College Track,
be an engineer. A smile grew across his face and he