His mother was told he would be born with a rash of cognitive and physical impairments and would be permanently disabled should he survive. He couldn’t walk or talk when he was a small child and he underwent two hydrocephalus-related brain surgeries. But both he and his mother refused to give up. Today, Caleb Bryant is an academic standout majoring in psychology at San Diego City College, gives tours of the campus and works with local high schools as a campus outreach ambassador, is actively involved with Hermanos Unidos/Brothers United and A2MEND and is preparing to transfer this fall to San Diego State University.

“I was gifted with adversity,” said Bryant, whose determination to persevere resulted in his playing basketball at San Diego High School, where was named to the Honor Roll and spoke at his graduation. “If I were never to experience what I experienced, I would not have had the opportunity to grow, to understand the adversities others are facing, to empathize with others who are facing challenges of their own. I never stopped believing, I’ll never stop fighting, and you should never say someone can’t do something if you don’t give them the opportunity to succeed.”

His struggle was recognized at City’s February 5 Black Employee Luncheon, where Bryant was among the featured speakers. “Caleb is a dedicated student and actively supports his peers in their own journeys,” said Dr. Kirin Macapugay, a social justice warrior and City College associate professor who is among the many impacted by knowing Bryant.

It has been an inspiring journey.

A native of North Carolina who spent much of his childhood in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Bryant said he was often bullied by others as a child but was motivated to carry on thanks to his mom’s constant encouragement. “My mother has always been my inspiration,” he said. “She’s always believed in me.” His single mom struggled financially, though, and moved to San Diego to get a fresh start. Once here, he was enrolled at the Sierra Academy, a school in the San Carlos neighborhood of the city that has since merged with the Springall Academy to form the Sierra School of San Diego specializing in serving the academic, behavioral, social and emotions needs of special needs students, including those on the autism spectrum and those facing various health challenges. Although the campus serves students from first to 12^th grades, Bryant blossomed as a person and as a student and enrolled at San Diego High School in 2020, where he continued to shine.

It was during a tour of City College that Bryant, now 20, decided to enroll at the campus not far from their downtown home. At City, he’s received numerous recognitions, including an EOPS scholarship and another from Friends of Downtown San Diego. Now set on transferring to San Diego State, Bryant remains unsure of a specific career path. That, he said, will come in time. “I’m ready to push forward.”