Encouraging words from a CSUN connection came at just the right time for Hector Gonzalez.
Hector Gonzalez has faced many challenges head-on over the years: As a teen, he left CSUN to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps — and paused his plans to pursue a business degree. Later, he built his own business and overcame alcohol addiction. But one of the most daunting tests for the San Fernando Valley native? The thought of returning to school in his 40s.
“The hardest thing [was] actually making the decision to go back. You know, the [lack of] confidence: ‘Am I going to be able to keep up with these younger students?’ That was big.” Gonzalez said.
In 2024, he pushed his fears aside and returned to CSUN. Gonzalez completed the requirements for his bachelor’s degree in psychology in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences this summer. He’s headed to graduate school this fall to become a therapist specializing in addiction recovery. The 44-year-old father of two credited a chance encounter with a California State University (CSU) Trustee’s son — along with the support Gonzalez found on campus — for helping him finish what he started more than two decades ago.
Gonzalez, who grew up in Reseda and attended Taft Charter High School, arrived at CSUN as a freshman in 2000. He was recruited to the Marine Corps Reserves just before 9/11.
“When [9/11] happened, there was always talk in the reserve unit of, ‘Hey, we’re going to be activated.’ In the back of my mind, I [was] just waiting on that call. So, I wasn’t really concentrating on school,” he said.
Gonzalez began his active military service in 2003, working in security roles on several bases in Southern California, including Camp Pendleton, in San Diego County. He returned to CSUN briefly in 2005, he said, but left after one semester. Gonzalez started a trucking business and became a father of two daughters. Over the years, he struggled with alcohol and began attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. He found personal success and sobriety with a local chapter that focuses on the Spanish-language community. In turn, he helped others in the group. Those life experiences sparked his interest in becoming a therapist.
“Mental health became a big priority in my life. I haven’t had a drink in over 13 years,” Gonzalez said. “Seeing how my lifestyle changed, not just for myself, but for my family and my girls — being a part of that [community] and being a small part in someone’s change has been very rewarding.”
During the pandemic, Gonzalez’s trucking business faltered and he sold off his equipment, he said. A friend suggested he look into the Warrior-Scholar Project, a nonprofit organization that helps veterans prepare for higher education. In 2024, Gonzalez attended an academic boot camp session at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. It was there that he met Doug Firstenberg, a project supporter and the son of then-CSU Trustee (now Trustee Emerita) Jean Firstenberg.
“Doug heard me speak about not being sure if I was going to go back to CSUN, and [that] I was terrified to go in person because I was going to be the old guy now, and I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to manage,” he said.
Firstenberg urged Gonzalez to return to CSUN in person and use campus support services for veterans, namely the Veterans Resource Center (VRC) in the University Student Union. Firstenberg also put Gonzalez in touch with his mother, who connected via email. Gonzalez said their encouragement was particularly meaningful.
“Knowing I had someone to reach out to, it gave me that extra push and that extra confidence,” he said.
After being accepted (again) to CSUN, Gonzalez seized opportunities to meet people and make connections: He attended VRC events and met the manager, Robert Graves ’18 (M.A., Sport Psychology) who is also a Marine Corps veteran, as well as other faculty and staff members who support the group. He got to know his professors and joined clubs, including CSUN’s Parent Scholars United.
Gonzalez plans to pursue a career as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. His Southern California-area graduate program focuses on serving the Spanish-speaking community. He finished his last course at CSUN during the summer, but skipped commencement this past May in order to attend his older daughter’s graduation from U.C. Berkeley. Thanks to his newfound network of mentors and friends, Gonzalez was able share with his older daughter helpful information about For People of Color, an organization that supports aspiring law school students — he’d heard about it in a Chicano Studies class.
“There were things I gained at CSUN that I was able to turn around and give to my children as well,” he said.
For others considering returning to school, he had this advice: Once you decide, get going.
“Don’t take too long to go back,” Gonzalez said. “No matter when you decide to go back, it’s going to be scary. As for what else I can tell someone, it’s [to] get involved. You’re not alone. Get involved.”
