Jeffrey at Corsair Halloween party
Jeffrey Berrios walked into his first classes at Santa Monica College with the dream of being an actor and also needing a new beginning. Graduating high school during COVID-19, he had struggled to navigate college applications amid an unstable and abusive home environment. So he was ready to embrace the future that SMC offered and reclaim the confidence that had been chipped away.
But then his loving mother called to say his family was being evicted from the only home he had ever known.
Jeffrey first saw that as a sign that he should give up: The odds against him were too great. Instead, though, he said, “I’m going to continue with school and see this through.”
Four years later, Jeffrey is graduating from SMC as an award-winning journalist whose work with the student-run media outlet The Corsair helped him discover his voice, build lasting friendships and develop an engaging portfolio of writing.
From Sidekick to Storyteller
Jeffrey describes his path to SMC as “very long.” A first-generation college student and the son of a Guatemalan immigrant, he graduated from high school without the guidance many students rely on to apply for college or understand financial aid. “I had to figure things out by myself,” he says.
At first, he knew only that he wanted change. Living in the San Fernando Valley, miles from Santa Monica, he had overheard people talking about SMC and liked the idea of a new setting. But after taking a gap year to figure out the application process, his reasons for attending became deeper.
SMC, Jeffrey says, “was a chance for me to find myself and succeed in a way that I’d never achieved before.”
For much of his life, Jeffrey adds, he felt like “the sidekick,” someone without a clear identity of his own. At SMC, he began changing that. Beyond theater, he also explored news writing, pop culture, podcasting and broadcasting. And he began learning that his perspective mattered.
The Corsair Community
After exploring acting at SMC, he chose not to pursue a career of pretending to be other people. Instead, he fused his passion for performance with his growing interest in audio media. “In radio or podcasting, I can just be myself,” he says.
Meanwhile, journalism offered another path to that entertainment world Jeffrey had loved since childhood. Jeffrey gravitated toward opinion writing, interviews and multimedia storytelling.
At The Corsair, he found room to try all of it. “I wear many different hats,” Jeffrey says of his work there.
He started an opinion column after an editor encouraged him to put his many pop culture takes in writing. At the time, he still lacked belief in himself, but that changed when the column won an award. The recognition startled and encouraged him.
“It was affirming,” Jeffrey admits. “I didn’t think that I was that important.”
As his confidence grew, so did his range. He covered community events, reported on SMC’s Thanksgiving philanthropic efforts and fire relief during the Palisades conflagration, honed his editing skills and joined in live election coverage.
“It was anxiety-inducing,” he confesses, “but I enjoyed it all.”
When he shared the work with his family, their pride became a treasured memory.
People Who Made the Difference
In addition to education and affirmation, Jeffrey found that SMC also offered community.
English Department Assistant Chair Jessica Krug became an early source of encouragement. During his freshman year, Jeffrey often arrived as early as possible after long rides from the San Fernando Valley to spend mornings in her classroom. “She was kind of the person I needed in that moment, because I was just lost,” he says.
Later, Corsair faculty adviser Sharyn Obsatz became another vital mentor. “Her middle name is support,” Jeffrey says. “If I ever need help with anything, I can just give her a quick text.”
He also found friends who cheered him through difficult classes, encouraged him to stay on track and reminded him that he belonged. Podcasting with one of his closest friends became both a creative outlet and a source of joy.
“That’s something that I’m going to miss dearly when I leave,” Jeffrey says of those relationships—even though he knows more friendships are to come as he advances his academic journey.
Stepping Forward
For Jeffrey, graduating from SMC marks a milestone in overcoming uncertainty and self-doubt. The occasion also honors a fellow theater student whose confidence inspired him during difficult times—and whose death made him even more determined to walk the graduation stage.
“I wasn’t going to graduate for just myself but also for them,” Jeffrey says.
Moving ahead from SMC also means a new stage in his young life. After years of instability, Jeffrey now has a new home and his own room. He is also helping his younger brother prepare for college, guiding him through financial aid so he will not have to figure it out alone.
This fall, Jeffrey plans to continue studying journalism and media production after being accepted to the University of Roehampton and University of Westminster in London. He has also applied to USC and Cal State Northridge. (“Cal State would be easier on the pocketbook,” he says.) His long-term goal is to work in producing, especially unscripted entertainment, while continuing to explore storytelling through podcasting and radio.
But SMC will always have a special place in his life, because, as Jeffrey puts it: “I found my place here.”
* * *
At Santa Monica College, Madeline Davis transformed years of self-doubt into student
success, a passion for teaching—and a future she once thought impossible. Read Article This first-gen Corsair racked up interior design awards, earned straight A’s and pulled
all-nighters in the studio — all while commuting, working part-time jobs, and helping
out with the family cleaning business. Read Article From Navy ships to city streets, Kayjel Mairena built a journalism career at SMC focused
on documenting and serving communities in need. Read Article Coming to Santa Monica College for a fresh start, Jeffrey Berrios found community
in his classes and confidence in writing for The Corsair. Read Article An Art prof has a museum show. An SMC Fashion alum dresses a celebrity. The College
gets a $250k grant to design equity-centered professional development. Read Article Jakarta native Bryan Hartanto turned his fixation on infrastructure into an extraordinary
journey through SMC—collecting research projects, leadership roles and campus jobs.
Headed to UC San Diego for civil engineering, Bryan is determined to keep on building.
Read ArticleSMC in Focus Volume XII, Issue 3
Believing in Herself
Chasing Her Interior Dreams
Bearing Witness
Writing a New Chapter
Bragging Rights
From Shoeboxes to Skyscrapers