CONTRACTOR SUCCESS STORY
Native Soil , Inc . owners Angelina and Emmanuel Gomez
old , one of my uncles started bringing me along on afternoons and weekends . I learned how to build patios , retaining walls and install irrigation .”
Although his uncles were hardworking and took pride in what they did , Manny witnessed first-hand how certain contractors found ways to exploit them , often accusing them of taking “ too long ” to finish a job as an excuse to give them only half of what they were due on payday . “ So , I decided that after graduating high school , I should get a degree in landscape architecture , get my license , and start my own business . It wasn ’ t easy , because there were a lot of potential distractions , but I worked hard to maintain my G . P . A .”
After graduating high school in 2008 , Manny was accepted to a 5-year landscape architecture program at California Polytechnic State University , San Luis Obispo ( Cal Poly ). He continued working with his uncles until he left for college , and when he came home during school breaks , he ’ d pick up where he ’ d left off , helping them on construction projects to earn pocket money for college expenses . “ The Cal Poly program was tough and there was the culture shock of coming from Oakland , where it ’ s very diverse , and going to a campus that was 80 % Caucasian ,” he recalls , “ I was kind of mad when my classmates were traveling and having fun and I had to work because I needed money . But now that I look back on it , during all that time I was also learning my craft .”
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