Following a Mountie Tradition: The Torres Siblings' Journey to Success

It’s not uncommon for a Mt. SAC student to be following a Mountie family tradition. Once one family member attends the College, others tend to follow. The school is contagious. The Torres siblings are no different. All three attended Mt. SAC and found paths there that helped them build strong foundations for their futures. 

Abraham Torres (#57) with his special teams teammates

Abraham was the first Torres sibling to become a Mountie. After high school, he found himself with a handful of acceptance letters from four-year universities but he was unsure what academic track he wanted to pursue. Growing up in the Mt. SAC area, he was familiar with the College’s reputation and legacy and of course had friends heading there after high school. The campus “was also located close enough to commute to but far enough to be surrounded by mostly new people and [so I could] ultimately immerse myself in a new community,” Abraham explained. He had played football in high school and decided to try out for the Mt. SAC team, which would give him access to priority registration. 

Soon, Abraham was a kicker on the football team and an honors student. He became close to Linda Diaz, his honors advisor and also the announcer for home football games. Football and the honors program formed the frame for Abraham’s Mt. SAC experience. What he remembers most fondly is “the competitive atmosphere whether on the football field or in the honors program.” That competitive attitude led Abraham to academic success as well as a spot in the football state championship game. He said, “I felt I was always surrounded by winners who push each other to be better.” 

Jose Torres

Meanwhile, his brother Jose was enrolled at a four-year university that wasn’t a good fit. He saw what a good fit Mt. SAC appeared to be as Abraham was preparing to attend, and he decided to join him there. Once enrolled at Mt. SAC, Jose took a variety of classes in order to find his passion. “I was honestly trying to find myself and I studied courses ranging from anthropology to sociology to business calculus. I ended up choosing business administration,” he said. 

Jose attributes much of the positive experience he had at Mt. SAC to the Accounting, Finance, and Management (AFM) Club. “Mt. SAC changed my life and helped me find my purpose,” he said. “Prior to, I had no guidance and my life was spiraling out of control. When I got to Mt. SAC, I made genuine connections with friends and professors. Brenda Domico specifically changed my life. She got me into the AFM Club, and that is when I found my path, and pursued it.” In order to raise money for the club, Jose organized the College’s first-ever Mexican food sale, which was a success as a fundraiser and for Jose’s sense of self-worth. 

After witnessing the way that her brothers thrived at Mt. SAC, younger sister Emma knew it was the best choice for her after high school. “My favorite thing about Mt. SAC were my professors, Honors Society and the counselors they provided us,” Emma said. “Without their guidance, I would not have gotten into the colleges I did. The most impactful person would have to be my counselor from the Honors Society. He guided me throughout my time at Mt. SAC, mapped out the exact roadmap I needed to follow, which classes to take and drafted and re-drafted all of my college essays for admission.” Additionally, Emma was proud of the College’s physical spaces. “I thought the campus itself was very well maintained, there were always additions to campus which made it an enjoyable space to work in, and the resources on campus were actually helpful and readily available when you needed it,” she said. 

The Torres family

After such positive and successful experiences at Mt. SAC, it’s not a surprise that the Torres siblings went on to set and attain happy and fulfilling career and personal life goals. After getting a degree in business administration, Abraham went on the University of Southern California, where he earned a bachelor’s in accounting and now he works in the legal and compliance department at The Capital Group Companies, Inc., a Los Angeles based global asset manager. He “learned to enjoy and trust the process (wins and losses) when setting goals,” he said. “Mt. SAC taught me patience and a consistent work ethic are key to success. I also feel that the people you surround yourself with strongly impact your trajectory in life. I was lucky enough to be surrounded by great Mounties (students, staff, coaches, etc.).”

Jose took his enthusiasm for accounting and finance to Whittier College where he got a bachelor’s in business administration with a dual concentration in accounting and finance. After that, he chose law school and earned a JD from Thomas Jefferson School of Law. These days, he is COO and Pre-Litigation Supervisor at a premier personal injury law firm in Century City. Jose believes his success can be directly tied to the people he met at Mt. SAC. “Growing up I was told constantly that I was lazy and never going to achieve high levels of education,” he said. “I had professors and friends that knew my potential and pushed me; the list goes on and on. I love Mt SAC.”

When Emma came to Mt. SAC, she initially studied chemistry, but she soon learned that her strengths and her interests were better suited for reading and writing so she switched to a history major, eventually transferring and graduating from UCLA. Now she is enjoying a career in social media marketing where she works with internet brands. “Mt. SAC was able to mold me into a more focused and goal-oriented student and individual,” said Emma. “It showed me how to be independent, work towards community engagement, and stay focused despite the distractions that can pop-up within school, work, and personal life.” The Torres siblings experienced what many at Mt. SAC find here: a community, a path, a passion, and the ability to share all that with loved ones.