Odds don't bother Martin Saucedo. Afterall, he's been beating them much of his life.

Consider:

• No one in his family graduated from high school.
• This native of Mexico didn't learn English until he was a teenager.
• Many in his Texas town said he couldn't succeed if he left the area.

And all of this is just for starters. Putting aside his fears, Martin moved ahead with his life - and, indeed, has beaten the odds. On May 10, he donned cap, gown, three medals for excellence in academics and leadership, and walked across the stage of South Mountain Community College to pick up his diploma. Martin also led the Pledge of Allegiance for the 109 graduates and hundreds of family and friends. "It just matters that I made it," said Martin, 23, who received Associate in Arts degrees in arts, science and general studies. However, he has more than just "made it." This humble and soft-spoken grad has flourished.

Consider:

• He served as Student Body President this academic year.
• In February, he was named to the All-Arizona First Team; in April, he was named to the All-USA Academic Third Team - from among 1,600 students named to all three national teams.
• In 2001, Martin was the only community college student in the nation to attend the Harvard Public Policy Conference for college students.
• Achievements also include: Honor Society, President of the SMCC chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the Dean's list, and the SMCC Leadership Award.

Martin credits SMCC Psychology Faculty Dr. Brian Murphy for influencing his career choice. "I've always wanted to work with youth. But I've also been drawn to the sciences and often considered a career in medicine. Dr. Murphy showed me how I could merge the two by pursuing a career in youth psychiatry."

Saucedo's desire to work with children has roots in his own experience, as well as years of working with children as a Sunday school teacher and as a tutor. "I had a pretty rough time when I was a teenager," he says. Instead of using his experience in a negative way, he chooses to help young people find their way. "The young people are desperately crying out for help. We just have to learn their language."

Personal growth and gaining of insight have been the greatest rewards of attending SMCC, becoming a nationally recognized scholar, and of serving in student leadership capacities, Saucedo adds. He recalls that attending SMCC meant leaving Texas and the comfort of family, friends, and church community more than three years ago. "Many people said it would be too hard to start a new life somewhere else. I eventually came to realize that such advice, no matter how well intentioned, was not decisions. You have to know when to trust yourself. You have to do what is right for you."