Playing the Game With a Bad Hand

Jones Relaxing at Horsetooth Reservoir


Playing the Game With a Bad Hand

The college experience is one that can be filled with happiness, sadness, trials and tribulations. Many individuals embark on the college journey lost and in search of who they will be for the rest of their lives. But not all who get there come from the same background or even take the same path to realizing who they plan to be as an adult and how they will spend the rest of their life. We have all seen the stereotypical image on television or in the media of the motivated college student whose parents are paying for his/her college career. And the entire time they are in college they have the love and support from family and friends alike with something like a solid 3.2 cumulative GPA. But what about the student who is a first generation individual, raised in a single parent household, deals with constant conflict from friends and family alike while still maintaining a 3.2 cumulative GPA? This is exactly the reality for Senior Sociology major DeAngelo Jones.
“You can’t really complain about the cards you’ve been dealt, you just got to play your hand and see what happens” said Jones.
Born in San Antonio Texas, Jones’ father became absent at the tender age of two.
“I’m not going to lie and say that not having my dad around didn’t bother me, but I never realized it until I became old enough to see my friends with their dads and actually realize mine wasn’t there.”
However Jones’ mother stepped up to the plate and became his rock and filled in the gap in his heart as best she could.
“I didn’t even know about my father or who he was until I was older. She masked things so well and was mommy and daddy ya’ know. She is the strongest person I know” said Jones.
Jones fought through the hardships of his past and flourished as an individual. His mother soon moved their family to Aurora Colorado and this is where Jones’s life really began he says.
“I was born in Texas but Colorado is my home.”
The Jones family took up residents in the rugged housing projects of Cherry Grove. The living there was less than desirable. He then moved to a similar low income housing area called The Weatherstones where he recalls seeing the worst things.
“I saw drug deals, alcohol abuse, I saw it all man.”
But Jones still found the will to fight through and be something better. Even while being put in charge of caring for his younger brother when he was only eight
“Since his dad was absent too, I knew how he felt, and I stepped up to be that strong figure for him along with my mom.”
Jones’ life was a tumultuous roller-coaster and he was forced on the ride against his consent. Yet he never lost the drive to get to a higher and more peaceful place where he could really experience life as he wanted it. While attending Central High school in Aurora, Jones made one of the biggest decisions of his life. One that he never even thought possible coming from the background that he did. He decided that he was going to apply for college.
“I always had the dream of graduating from high school, but college, that was a huge step; nobody thought I would get as far as I did when I was a senior in high school, college was a crazy thought!”
A friend of Jones' told him about Colorado State University so he applied immediately and was soon accepted. But not surprising, knowing his past, money was going to be a huge issue. But after strategic planning and filling out dozens of scholarship applications Jones landed the all expenses paid Daniels Fund Scholarship.
“Man I really started to see things look up for me. All my life I had it hard and now I had the opportunity to not only get a college degree, but I was going to be able to go and get it paid for!”
But Jones dealt with a little bit of resistance from friends and a few choice family members as he rode his much deserved high horse. Some family members and friends gave him trouble and fed negative energy his way.
“I don’t know man they were just being haters. Nothing upsets a hater more then someone coming from the same background making it in this world. Because they think that if they can’t make it nobody can and you prove them wrong, they hate that,” Jones said.
Regardless Jones seized the moment and grew as a strong well known student on Colorado States campus. He took full advantage of the resources and organizations on campus. Friends say Jones is a walking rubric for success and never letting life get you down.
“He is the most motivated kid I know. It’s inspirational how he handles so many of life’s crappy moments” said Jones roommate Josh Bond.
“I’ve lived with him for 3 years now and I’ve seen the ups and downs. That guy is strong. I don’t think I could overcome some things he just shrugs off,” says another roommate Zenas Willard.
Jones, now a senior and ready to graduate in May says all of the hardships and fighting were well worth it.
“I appreciate the haters and the hardships because they made me that much stronger of a person” Jones said.
He has made it a long way and shows no sign of slowing down on his fast track to success. He plans on going to graduate school and then pursuing a career as a Human Resource Consultant. And many like Senior Matt Labato say they would be shocked if Jones became anything less than great.
“He is a driven man. You can’t teach that it’s got to be instilled in you from birth. Some people have it and some people don’t. DeAngelo has it.”
Even though things were looking up for Jones he got a curve ball his Junior year that almost caused him to falter in a way that could have stopped his seemingly flawless college experience. In November of 2010 Jones father died unexpectedly.
“I had the weirdest mix of feelings because he was never there but it still hurt because I realized that at that moment I would never be able to pursue a normal relationship with him because he was gone forever.”
Jones left for Texas and missed a lot of class while sorting out family issues related to the untimely death. Upon his return he was drained physically and emotionally. But he knew what he had to do and saw that he was too close to the end to stop.
“I was basically at the finish line. I couldn’t let my mom down because it would mean so much to her if I graduated and that was the whole reason why I came here. I knew I had to suck it up and go for it”
But Jones wasn’t alone. He attributes a lot of his success to his faith in God and his strong circle of friends at Colorado State.
“Without God on my side and him blessing me with amazing friends and my mom, I don’t know if I could have done it. It was a tough time.”
Back on track and months away from graduation, Jones looks forward to the future and what it has to hold.
“I’ve been through a lot. I can’t wait to see what the future has for me. When people ask me about how I plan on handling life, I say I just plan on flying by the seat of my pants and taking life as it comes like I have all my life. I’m ready for anything.”

Quick Bio
Name: DeAngelo Jones
Age: 21
School: Colorado State University
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
Major: Sociology
Hobbies: Hanging with friends and writing poetry
Great Accomplishment: Earned the Daniels Fund Full ride scholarship to CSU.
Dream: To be happy no matter what he is doing
Motto: Get the job done no matter what