No one would accuse Omar Coronel of being a chatterbox. Whether speaking or writing, he invariably expresses himself with a careful economy of words.

With support from the Scholarship Foundation, he’s now bringing this same penchant for precision to his studies as a freshman architecture major at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

“Drawing was once a hobby of mine, but I never understood exactly what I was doing,” he said. “The more I’ve learned the more I admire the dedication and time that are essential to successful architectural plans. I want to be part of that process, and perhaps one day create something breathtaking.”

Omar’s prime motivation is his family. His parents and younger sister remain in his hometown of Santa Maria, but an older sister and other relatives live in Oaxaca, Mexico. He vows to visit them one day.

To earn money for college, Omar worked as a fieldhand with his father the last two summers.

When he’s not working or studying, he can usually be found playing his guitar, including each Sunday with his church choir.

Unsurprisingly, his favorite school subject is math.

“It’s similar to life. Sometimes you get a correct answer, and sometimes you don’t,” he said.