Sacramento, Calif. – Pablo Nunez, a former standout pole vaulter on the Mt. San Antonio College Track and Field Team, received the 3C4A Student-Athlete Achievement Award in Sacramento on Wednesday, March 26.
The award recognizes student-athletes who have overcome significant personal, academic, or emotional challenges to succeed in intercollegiate athletics. It is not necessarily given to the most talented athletes but rather to those who have shown perseverance and made notable personal progress toward success.
Pablo, who commuted from Moreno Valley to Walnut to attend Mt. SAC and train under world-renowned pole vaulter Giovanni Lanaro, faced a 50-mile commute that would challenge anyone. However, Pablo didn’t have a car.
“I found the solution: ride my bike from my home eight miles to the local train station, catch a ride to the City of Industry, and then ride for another 20 minutes to arrive at Mt. SAC before my 7 a.m. English class,” says the Moreno Valley native. “To get a little more specific, in order to make this commute, I had to catch the 3:45 a.m. train, which meant I began my day at 2 in the morning and left my house before 3 a.m.”
Pablo’s days start early to accommodate his packed schedule, which includes classes, athletics, extracurricular activities, and work.
“While being a STEM student-athlete at Mt. SAC, I joined the Engineering Club and became a member of the Mt. SAC Rocket Team,” says Pablo, who switched his major to Liberal Arts with an emphasis in Mathematics. “Through the connections I made in the Engineering Department, I was able to secure a job on campus in the physics and engineering stockroom, which later led to me (also) working at the Mountie MakerSpace.
With a wide range of responsibilities inside and outside the classroom, Pablo attributes his success to the support and fun he found along the way, which helped him stay motivated and achieve his goal of graduating from Mt. San Antonio College.
“I have to give a shoutout to the Physics and Engineering Department for having, in my opinion, the most fun classes and groups of people,” says Pablo, who also is thankful for his time with the WIN Program and the Mountie MakerSpace.
Some of Pablo’s other impressive accomplishments include placing third in the 2023 FAR Unlimited Competition, building rockets that defeated schools like Stanford and UC Berkeley; helping Mt. SAC place third at the 3C2A 2024 Track and Field State Championship and win its third consecutive state title; designing and building games for the 2024 Athletics Fair as the lead engineer; and maintaining a GPA above a 3.5 as a student-athlete and student worker with two jobs.
Currently still enrolled at Mt. SAC, Pablo continues to train in Track and Field, aiming to transfer to UC Davis to further his education while pursuing his pole-vaulting career.
Congratulations on your accomplishments, Pablo. We are incredibly proud of how you overcame obstacles, broke barriers and did what you had to do to achieve your dreams. We wish you much success in the future.