The Answer - A blog about Education, Preparation, and Commitment.

YES Prep Alumnus: Graduation from College is Now an Expectation

March 08, 2011 by Tenesha Villanueva

Joel Muñoz Jr. graduated from YES Prep Southeast in 2002.  He attended University of Houston where he majored in Business Management with a minor in Spanish and graduated in 2006.  Joel currently works at YES Prep West as Dean of Students.  He had this to share about his experience at YES Prep and time in college. 

What is your favorite YES Prep memory?

My favorite YES Prep memory is of the first day of school of my freshman year (1998). My mom dropped me off at school and I saw all of the students wearing their school uniform. On their uniform, it had the YES Prep logo that I created for the school. It was also on all of the letterheads, business cards and parent letters that went home. The school ended up using the logo for four years. Now, every time I visit the YES Prep Southeast campus, I am always asked, “Are you the guy who designed the logo?” It is very cool!

Name the teacher/staff member who had the greatest impact on you and why.

Chris Barbic, Jen Pagani Hines, Jason Bernal and Keith Desrosiers were my favorite teachers and had the greatest impact on me. They are the type of teachers that were always on your back, but were so great at building relationships. They always had extremely high expectations for me and they pushed me beyond belief. They didn’t settle and challenged me to do my best. They definitely shaped me into the person that I am today and they are part of the reason why I do what I do. 

How do you feel YES Prep best ensured you were college-ready?

YES Prep ensured that I was college ready by providing amazing instruction. Teachers went out of their way to teach you in the best way possible. Most of the time it involved staying after school, getting pulled from lunch or coming on a Saturday, but it was worth it. Every time I needed help, I received it.

 Knowing what you know now, what one piece of advice would you give to current YES Prep students?

Work hard and don’t give up because at the end, the payoff is endless.

What was your most difficult experience/time in college?

I was a full time student and worked two jobs, so that was the biggest challenge for me in college. This pushed me to really have great time management, stay focused and work hard. I could have easily given up, but I was taught to do “Whatever it Takes” and so I did.

How did you become involved in your college campus? (clubs/orgs., job, research, etc.)

I love to meet new people and that is how I became involved on my college campus. People would tell me about all of the extracurricular activities on campus and I would take advantage of those that appealed to me. There is something for everyone and you just have to make some choices that are best for you as a person. I was involved in several student organizations, intramural sports, internships and research projects. I was exposed to many new things and made a ton of connections.

What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment (academic, social, extracurricular, personal) since graduation from YES Prep and/or college?

My greatest accomplishment is not just being the first in my family to graduate from college, but also setting the bar for the rest of my family, friends and students. Graduation from college is now an expectation; it is no longer an option. The product that will come from all of those things combined will be priceless.

What are you doing now?

I am currently the Dean of Students at YES Prep West. The only thing I can say is that I love my job! I love being an administrator, but I’m glad that I had the opportunity to experience teaching for 3 years. I especially love seeing both sides of the spectrum with having gone through the program as a student and now as a staff member. I am lucky to be part of an organization that has such a great impact on the city of Houston (which is where I’m from) and the educational world. I can’t seem to get away from this place!  

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