Anna Trigeros-Rocha interview
Item
Title
Anna Trigeros-Rocha interview
Description
Microsoft Word document, 23 pages
Creator
Trigeros-Rocha, Anna
Carter, Alexander
Relation
StoryCorps Interviews
Coverage
California State University, Fresno
Date
4/16/2016
Identifier
SCMS_stcp_00009
extracted text
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I'm Anna Trigeros-Rocha. I am 55 years old. Today is Saturday, April
16, 2016, and I am on the campus of Fresno State University. And I am here talking with Alex
Carter who is a very wonderful, dear friend of mine.
>> Alex Carter: Hi, and I'm Alex Carter, age is 36, and today's day is April 16, 2016. Also here
at Fresno State Campus-wow, almost said city. And here with my lovely friend Anna RochaTrigeros-Rocha, I should say the hyphenation because that’s important. So we're going to be
asking Anna some questions and having some fun and hopefully make her laugh and cry a little
bit.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Thanks.
>> Alex Carter: You got it, so I'm going to go ahead and kick off a question now if you're ready,
yeah, you ready? Okay cool, so my first question to you, Anna, would be what were your parents
like?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Well, anything that I've ever heard about them because it has to be
past tense because they've been gone. My father passed away when I was ten, my mother when I
was 23. And so they've been gone a long time. So, but they were wonderful people. My father
was raised on a farm, and he really made something of himself. He only had a sixth grade
education. But married my mother because she was smart. She was born in 1927, and she was
probably one of the very few women in her community that graduated from high school. So he
caught onto her. She was smart. And he kind of built that legacy of going on to higher education.
I remember when I was nine years old he went to—got—went back to school and got his GED at
50.
>> Alex Carter: That’s big.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: And then after he got his GED he went on to business school and
graduated in accounting. So that was kind of my inspiration because, again, I lost him at ten
years old. So that kind of built in, and I think what's most heartwarming is that anyone to this day
whoever talks about my father is always with the utmost respect and dignity of how he was and
the legacy he left.
>> Alex Carter: So it sounds like education was pretty important to your dad to though.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: It really was. It really was. And growing up I knew that -- you know, I
went to high school—I went to—after high school I went to community college. And I was
serious but not serious because at that time I met my future husband and got married and had
children and so. But it was always in the back of my head to continue.
>> Alex Carter: So what was your childhood like?
>> Anna-Trigeros Rocha: It was—
>> Alex Carter: Like, I mean you lost your parents at ten?
>> Anna-Trigeros Rocha: I lost my mom—excuse me— I lost my dad when I was ten, but I lost
my mom when I was 23. So, I had her a little bit longer, but life was hard. You know, she grew
up—when we grew up— the loss of my dad made it really hard for her. And so she went into
substance abuse. And because of that it was hard, but she was never a bad parent or anything like
that. At most, she was always very encouraging. So then I started to, you know, get married,
raise my family. But the goal of education never left my head. It never did.
>> Alex Carter: So only child? Do you have siblings? You have siblings, I know you do.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I do, I do. I have siblings. I am the youngest of four. I have two older
sisters and one older brother. It was really not only losing my parents at a young age, but I just
lost my brother about 16 months ago so that's pretty fresh and it hurts. But my Mikey, my
brother, is still very much present in my life.
>> Alex Carter: So if Mike knew you were doing this today what do you think he'd say?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know, Mike does know that I'm doing it. I have to know in my
heart that he knows and sees what I'm doing. But when he was here and I was in school, and he
was still always encouraging all my stories. So I'm his little sister, and when I finish and go
across that stage he will be with me.
>> Alex Carter: So can I ask you when did you first find out that you were going to be parent
and how did that make you feel?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: When I first found out I was going to be a parent was with my son
Brandon [assumed spelling] who is now going to be, let's see, Brandon will be 36 this year. And
when I found out I was expecting a child I was really excited. But when I found out I was
expecting a son I was even more excited. He is the love of my life. He's a great son, a great
protector, and probably one of my biggest supporters.
>> Alex Carter: How would you say that being a parent has changed your life?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Well it’s changed—I changed my life when I knew I was going to be a
parent. I changed my whole way of life, my whole way of thinking, who I was because I wanted
to be the best darn parent I could be. And so it's by showing my children the example. When they
were young I was strict. I was their parent. But now that they're all grown we have a great
relationship because I am their friend as well as their parent.
>> Alex Carter: Did you feel like you had to give up on college when you found out that you
were going to be a parent? How did that all work?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know I didn't give up on it. I just put it aside, and I really didn't
see how I could manage working, you know, being a full-time parent, a full- time employee and
a full-time wife. I'm like how could I –
>> Alex Carter: Something had to give.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Something had to give, and how could I continue on? And so, again, it
was like -- in my employment history I always had really good jobs. But I only got so far in the
education, and not having that formal education is always what kept me back, you know? Gosh,
it would be great, we would hire you if you had that degree or if. So I had to take care of the if.
>> Alex Carter: So really it sounds like when you found out you were going to be a mother that
became your biggest priority at that point in time of your life?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yes, yes. So I'm still a great mom.
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, well absolutely you are, so something had to be put on the back burner at
least for a while and that—that was college?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: That was, that was. And, you know, we could kind of fast forward to it
was on the back burner and it wasn't far away. But then life changes and takes its turns. And six
years ago I went through a divorce which I really didn't think I was going to have to be in that
situation. But, you know what, I was. And it took a lot of strength to make a decision to leave a
29 year marriage, but it was something that I needed to do for me. So in doing that, taking that
29 years of being a wife and a mother, I needed to create a new identity. I needed to create an
identity for myself. And there began a journey of what I needed to do for the rest of my life. I
knew I had to support myself and be financially independent. And my youngest was almost
ready to go to college. And then you know, I had two grown children that were married at the
time.
>> Alex Carter: So, we've talked before, so Ray was an alcoholic?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yes, yes.
>> Alex Carter: Kind of verbally abusive to you as well?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: He was.
>> Alex Carter: You said those were probably the chief reasons why you decided to leave him?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: They were, they were because I had finally come to the point in life
where I didn't want to live my life like that. I wanted to live my life and be successful, be
everything that I wanted to be. And I couldn't do that and be independent and be that person
because I was constantly being dragged down. And you know, it just wasn't a good, healthy
situation. So I toughened up and did what I needed to do.
>> Alex Carter: So when you left him you took a trip. Where'd you go?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Actually that's funny you should ask me that. Probably the most life
changing events up until that point besides my—the birth of my beautiful children was a trip to
Paris I took. And that was a year before I left my husband I took a trip to Paris. It is something
that I had dreamed about since I was a kid in high school dreaming and taking two years of
French. I took—I went to Paris with my sister. We spent ten days. And it was life changing,
Alex, because I remember that I was there in the subway in Paris hearing Frank Sinatra all in
English. And I thought, here I am 5,000 miles away from my husband, and I couldn't be happier.
And I thought, gosh, if I could be happy here in this point in time and I'm not with him, I'm not
with anyone but I'm here by myself and I can be happy, that was like an epiphany for me because
it was like that meant that I could do this. And within six months I did it. I left.
>> Alex Carter: So you left him.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I did, I left.
>> Alex Carter: You stood up for yourself, and you went out on your own even though you had
been married to him for 29 years and had three kids together?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yeah, yeah, yeah—
>> Alex Carter: Wow, you’re tough.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know, it’s just—and that whole thing was --
>> Alex Carter: And shortly thereafter you went to college.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yeah, and the whole thing was is I didn't do like some women plan
ahead, stock money up and things like that. No, I did it in a total leap of faith. I didn't know—
>> Alex Carter: How old were you when you went to college?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: When I started I went and took the basic placement test. I was 49
years old. Thank you for reminding me. I was 49 years old taking a placement test to go to
community college. The classes that I had taken 100 years ago in 1979 were not going to transfer
so I had to start from square one.
>> Alex Carter: So many years since you had graduated high school or had other higher
education before you went back, like I mean—
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Thirty years.
>> Alex Carter: Thirty years.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I graduated in 1978. So it had been upwards of 30 years. And here I
am in 2010, I left my husband in 2010, and by June I was starting classes.
>> Alex Carter: So you were just like bang bang—
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: So I was like let's get this done.
>> Alex Carter: —I’m on a mission, I’m going to start my life and I'm going to build it up. Even
though—
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Exactly. As long as I'm going to get older I might as well get smarter.
>> Alex Carter: That's brave.
>> Unidentified Speaker: Can I ask what was going through your head? Like were you scared,
like what were the emotions at that time?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: To—Oh, absolutely I was scared. I was scared. I was scared that I
wasn't smart enough. I thought whom am I. I'm 49 years old. I have a high school education. I
have work experience, but I don't know if I have it in me to learn what I need to learn to see this
through. I thought, you know, this is just going to be something to get me through a time—a hard
time. I'm going to focus on classes. I'm going to do something, and in the back of my head I was
trying to encourage my daughter who was in her last couple years of high school. And I knew
that I wanted her to go on to college. And I thought what better way to show her that you can still
do it and go to college. And, look, if your mom can do it you can do it.
>> Alex Carter: What's her name?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Tatianna [phonetic]. Tatianna is my baby girl.
>> Alex Carter: Beautiful name.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Brandon my son, Jamie Nicole [assumed spelling] my daughter, and
Tatianna Alegra [phonetic]. They are my pride and joy. They are the reason that I do what I do.
>> Alex Carter: Had anyone in your family before that gone to college?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know, my parents didn't go to college. And then my older sisters,
my actual -- I was just talking to her today. My sister, Rebecca [assumed spelling], she went on - in her late 30s went back to school and earned her bachelor’s degree. She was working at a
really great company and knew the same thing. She was divorced, a single parent. And so she
kind of paved the way to say, hey, you know you can go on and do it. Of course, she was
younger than I was back when she started. But she's always been an inspiration as well because
she did it as well.
>> Alex Carter: And how has being a Hispanic women in her 50s affected you?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know that's the funny thing. It's like I'm probably the least
Hispanic people you know as far as looking, but the cultures in me. It's in there. It's in the music
and who I am. So I may not have an accent, but that doesn't mean I don't think with an accent.
That doesn't mean that I am not who I -- you know, because I'm not your stereotypical person, I
am still very much Mexican descent, and I am proud of it. So that's all—that’s who I am.
>> Alex Carter: See and this is why I'm happy I'm giving you this interview. Because, you know,
at 36 years old and me deciding to go to college after speaking with you and getting inspired and
thinking to myself like if you can do it, Anna, then I can do it. And I hope that anybody else who
listens to this recording today like realizes that they can do it too, like you're not too old. You're
an inspiration. You deserve what we're doing right now.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Thank you. Well, you know, it's never too late to learn. And you
know, I know you've heard me say my name and things. And Anna Trigeros-Rocha is really
important. And a lot of people wonder why I insist on the Anna Trigeros-Rocha. Well, you
know, I told you the story about my dad and him dying when I was ten. Santos Trigeros was his
name. And so I grew up, up until I married being Anna Trigeros. And my ex-husband would not
let me hyphenate my name. He was insulted that I would not take his name. So ten years into the
marriage I thought, you know, I'm going to be who I am, and I was Anna Trigeros-Rocha. But I
wanted to – you know now that here I am almost graduating, five weeks into graduation, I
applied to have my diploma name saying Anna Trigeros-Rocha. I went to the degree advising to
show them who I was, Anna Trigeros, who I am, I'm divorced, everything like that. And they
sent me an email back saying I'm sorry, we can't change it, this is the way your legal name is,
your school records. I was disappointed because it meant everything to me, the Trigeros name.
You know, having my dad gone, my only brother Michael gone, and Michael never married or
had children. So the Trigeros name in our little family was going to be gone. So it was up to me
to keep that going. And here I was not going to be able to get that going. But I happened to meet
someone who was very influential here on the campus. I told her my story. She put her influence
in, and I am getting my degree granted in the name of Anna Trigeros-Rocha which is everything
that I want. It means I can look up and say, hey mom, hey dad, hey Mikey, I did it, Anna
Trigeros-Rocha, I did it.
>> Alex Carter: Are there any words of wisdom you'd like to pass along to me?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know what, don't give up. Life is going to be hard. It's not going
to be easy. It's a culmination, but it's who you are. If you have the strength to stick it out, you
know. And every moment you can't go back and get time back, but you have your whole future
to look ahead of you, Alex. You need to look in my eyes and know that whatever life throws at
you, you're strong, and you can do it. And look around. There's plenty of people who love you.
And if you need support don't be afraid to ask—
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, That’s hard for me.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: —Hey, I need you.
>> Alex Carter: That’s really hard for me.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I know it's hard for you, it's hard for me. But if I want to sit home in
my home I've got plenty of stories to feel sorry about myself. But, you know, when I start to get
that way I make a phone call. Don't I call you?
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, you do. Yeah, you do.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I'll call you, I'll call other friends. And it's like I don't have to say, hey,
I'm really down, come and see me or things. It's like get out. I talk to my kids on the phone.
Brandon is in Tennessee on a job assignment, we're talking on the phone, we're laughing, we're
talking. Jamie is down in LA. Poor little thing she's struggling. She's in community college. I
mean for her to do what she's done as far as even attempting to go back to school, having a
learning disability, she is the one who makes me proudest because she's down there doing it
every day. And my little fighter Tatianna, she will graduate in June. UC-Santa Barbara couldn't
be prouder. She's amazing. So I mean, if anything else did I leave that?
>> Alex Carter: I saw on Facebook that she had a pretty good championship not that long ago,
with rowing?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Oh, my gosh, she was elated in rowing. The whole part of her being in
the rowing program at UC-Santa Barbara, how many little Hispanic kids from Fresno are on the
rowing team? You know, it was amazing. When we went to Boston and we're on the Harvard
campus, Harvard, Yale, all these big Ivy League schools, and my little kid from Fresno is rowing
with the best of the best. I thought, gosh, does it get any better than that?
>> Alex Carter: Do you think that she was inspired by you, that you know, you went to college
and that maybe made her think she could do it, too? To go so far away from Fresno and do all the
things she does?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I like to think so. And we talked about that. She was accepted to go to
Columbia. And I had to sit there and talk to her frankly gong, “mija, that's great, but if you get
homesick or something I can't fly you from New York to Fresno. But if you go away to school to
Santa Barbara, better”. You know, I said, “I want you to have experiences, I want you to know
that there's more to life than just this little town. You'll meet a lot of people and do things.” And
here she'd come from being on the swim team and polo team all through high school. And for her
to be out there on her own she's grown so much as a person. And she couldn't have had better
experiences.
>> Alex Carter: She's close but she's still kind of alone.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Right. And that's the thing. She knows that she's four hours away. I
can come—go to see her, she can come to see me. We have— we talk on the phone, Skype, You
know. The three of us, myself and the three kids you know, we get on Skype and we're all
together. We're constantly in touch so that even though I'm here in Fresno, Brandon's traveling,
Jamie's in LA and Tatianna is in Santa Barbara but we're still, you know, yeah.
>> Alex Carter: We’re all moving forward, when in life have you felt more alone? We just
talked about how they're all kind of together but they're all kind of alone right now. Have you
ever felt alone? And so during your college career what would you say is your most alone?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: When I feel like I can't. I think when I feel like I'm there by myself
and I'm studying. And I'm studying and things aren't just coming to my head. And I'm like how
am I ever going to learn these math formulas? How am I ever going to conquer this? And believe
me still to this day it's not easy. But it's like I just -- I think it was Brandon who told me, he says,
you know, whatever it is it's temporary. This is how you feel right now right at this moment. But
you know, the next morning or a couple hours later you're going to forget about it.
>> Alex Carter: And those equations, those equations don't change. They're the same equations.
But we as people we can evolve. We can adapt. We can overcome. We can change to suit the
problem.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yeah, well I'm learning that. It's still not my favorite subject. It doesn't
matter how you spin it, Alex, I'm just not loving it.
>> Alex Carter: You can do it, Anna.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yes, you can.
>> Alex Carter: And you are doing it, and you're going to be graduating soon, right?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Absolutely.
>> Alex Carter: So that's big.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Absolutely.
>> Alex Carter: So another question. Who has been the biggest influence in your life as a
student, and what lessons that they taught you?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Are you referring to anyone specifically?
>> Alex Carter: No, I mean, no. I mean, if you want to pick me, I wouldn’t say that’s a bad
thing, but—.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Everyone in my life has inspired me in somehow some way, what they
do or where they've come from. I pick my circle of friends very carefully. And because of that
you have your story that drew me to you, who you are and what you've been through, and we
encourage each other. Girlfriends that I've had you know, some of them are single parents, some
of them are -- you know, and they're all different ages and come from all different backgrounds
and education. But some of my friends I've had upwards of 20 some years. And I draw from
them as they draw from me which is what friendship is all about.
>> Alex Carter: Definitely.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: There are very few mentors that I have. For me having a male mentor
is everything to me. Because I didn't have my dad I gravitate towards mentors that are male who
-- you know, they have pretty big shoes to fill as far as what my dad and his legacy are, so there
are very few that I have enough respect for or admiration for, to call on them. And there's less
than a handful of people, you know, that are there and that I've been able to have a special
mentor that I have the utmost respect for, admiration for, and my life has been better in the two
years that I've had this friendship. It will be something lasting for the rest of my life. And I hope
that that will always continue and be a part of that. You know, just—I told you about my
surrogate dad, Henry, and Henry has been instrumental. It's someone that I knew when I was
married. But whenever I ever want to call someone dad he's the only person in my life that I've
ever given him that title. And I said I hope you know how much it means to me to call you dad.
>> Alex Carter: What’s Henry’s last name?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Escobel [assumed spelling], Henry Escobel. Escobel is a pretty
important name to me. So there are only two men in this very small circle of mentors, and two of
them happen to be Escobels. How funny you should bring that up.
>> Alex Carter: Who was the other Escobel, I'm just curious.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: We shall remain nameless.
>> Alex Carter: Don’t want to talk about that one?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know what, again, just a wonderful human being, a wonderful
person. Someone that I will always aspire for. And, who knows, whatever God brings into my
path it doesn't matter how much I ask or much I plead, whatever God's plan is it is what it is.
>> Unidentified Speaker: How did Henry come into your life?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Henry came into my life, I met him when I was heavily involved in
church. And we just kind of gravitated towards each other. He has that very fatherly way about
him. And he would sit down and say, “Anna”, and spill out his life story and things. But he had a
very heartwarming way about him. I met Henry and his wife, and that was when I was still
married to Ray. So when we moved from down in southern California to Fresno we took a
camping trip with Henry and his wife and a bunch of friends from church. And that's where I got
to know him a little bit better. And, gosh, that was over 20 years ago. So Henry has been there
for the times in our lives when our children got married. When he took visits—when him and his
wife, Virginia, would come up to Yosemite we would join him when Brandon and Jamie were
little to go camping. So he's just kind of been that person. And it really broke my heart to have to
call Henry and tell him one day that I was divorcing Ray. And I thought, gosh, here I'm just
waiting for the fatherly lecture. But Henry said, “you know Anna, you do what you need to do,
and I will be here to support you in whatever way.” And so that's kind of been where we've
evolved from, a friendship. And Henry had a small heart attack a couple years ago. And Virginia
called me, and she goes I just wanted to let you know about your dad. And within the month
when I was down watching one of Tatianna's races I went to go see him. And we spent some
time together. And in all these years Henry's never been a real sentimental person. But Henry
gave me a ring that he says, “Anna, I want you to have this.” And so it was something that like
for him it was just a small token. For me it's like priceless. And I'm pretty much a sentimentalist.
You know that. You know there's a lot of things I'm going to be wearing on graduation day. A
little piece of my mom, a little piece of my dad, something from Mikey, you know, something
from everyone. I'm probably going to be rolling down the stage with everything that I have,
everything from everyone. And what I don't have physically is in my heart.
>> Alex Carter: So I know this about you. I know that there's a little statue—figurine that you're
notorious for carrying around with you on test times.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yeah.
>> Alex Carter: Why would you say you do that?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: First of all this little statue that I carry is a little tiny, itty bitty, golden
Buddha. And he's in my backpack. And having never grown up around eastern culture or what
that was all about, all I knew it was as a talisman for good luck. But in my first semester going to
school I took a communications class. Then I started researching what I was going to do. And I
was kind of interested in Feng Shui. So I kind of researched in that and got the whole thing
about, well, what is this Buddha, what does it represent, blah, blah, blah. So I looked at it, and
then it's like, you know, if this is talisman for good fortune then I'm going to get a little one, and
I'm going to keep it in my backpack. And believe me when I'm doing these tests like if it's a stats
exam, or I used it in algebra one day with the professor. And he goes, “you really think that's
going to bring me luck?” And I go “I've got to use all the forces I can”.
>> Alex Carter: What was that professor's name?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: That professor was Professor Hitchcock [assumed spelling], probably
my favorite.
>> Alex Carter: Roger Hitchcock.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Roger Hitchcock, yeah.
>> Alex Carter: Who also actually teaches here?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: He does, he is. And it's funny, I see Professor Hitchcock in the
hallways and he teases me. He goes, “Anna, are you still here?” And I go “I'm still here and I'm
almost finished”. I got it's sad to say that you're still doing the same job.
>> Alex Carter: He says the same thing to me all the time. He’s a great person, good sense of
humor.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Isn't that cool that you and I had the same professor?
>> Alex Carter: Yeah.
>> Unidentified speaker: Can you describe how you two met?
>> Alex Carter: How did we meet?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Oh, there's a story.
>> Alex Carter: So okay, we met when I was in high school. I became friends with Brandon
through choir. And Brandon didn't drive, and I was held back a year when I was young so I did
drive. And so I would pick Brandon up to take him to school. That way he could be cool riding
around with me instead of his folks and so—or having to walk. And so I would come to the
house and I would see Anna. And she'd always be there. And then as I got older I took a job at a
movie theater locally here in town called the Edwards Cinemas. And Anna actually worked
there. And we—we—so through Brandon and I and hanging out with his family I got to know
here a little bit. And then, again, through working at Edwards Cinemas got to know her even
better. And then we kind of fell out for a little while.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: We just lost touch because you grew up and went your way and do
your thing.
>> Alex Carter: Got with Nancy, you know, and I was with Nancy for 10 years. And then when
that didn't work out --
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Do you remember when we saw—first saw each other. Where were
you?
>> Alex Carter: Applebee’s.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: No, no, we were at the dog park.
>> Alex Carter: We were at the dog park.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You were the guy at the dog park in black slacks, a white shirt and a
tie. Who shows up at the dog park in a tie? But I was like—Brandon’s like
>> Alex Carter: I like to be—I like to dress nice.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Oh, come over here because Brandon was there with his dogs. I had
taken Pablo, my very cute little Morkie. So Pablo and I had gone to the dog park and there you
were. And that's how we reconnected. And then—then we went -- the first place we went to was
to have drinks at, what is it –
>> Alex Carter: Applebee’s?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: no, well yeah, we had, but it was, what do you call it, the Irish -Groggs [phonetic].
>> Alex Carter: Oh Groggs, that’s right.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Groggs, so yeah.
>> Alex Carter: So I got the prompt, we only have a few minutes left, and I definitely want to
ask you this one last question.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Okay, yes.
>> Alex Carter: What do you think is going to be the happiest moment of your life as a student?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Probably the happiest moment -- in what, you saved this for the last to
get me teary?
>> Alex Carter: That’s—That’s, you know, got to make you cry a little bit.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Is being—having that cap and gown on. It's having the gap and gown
on and looking at my three children in—in the aisle. And seeing the look on their face because I
did it for them. I did it for my mom, I did it for my dad, I did it for Mikey, but I did it for them.
I’ve always—everything I've done, everything I am is for them.
>> Alex Carter: For your kids.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: And they're my life. They are. And they—if they don't know it, and if
anybody knows me they know it. And Brandon, Jamie and Tatianna are the loves of my life.
Whatever I do, whatever I am, whatever I aspire to be is always for them, always, always.
Thanks a lot, Alex.
>> Alex Carter: Oh, your mascara didn’t run too bad.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: No, because I won't. But you know, it’s—it's meant everything to me
you know. When they were little growing up I changed my whole philosophy of life because I
wanted to be the best darn mother for them and teach them and show them. And, you know,
when they turn around and they give it back to me as far as Brandon is so loving and generous,
and he's such a gentle soul and loving, and when I hear him talk about me to someone else, or
someone else talks he just like that's my mom, you know?
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, because you're probably the most elegant lady I've ever known in my life.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: And thank you for that. Because I just, you know, Jamie is -- you
know, when you hear your kids talk about you with pride that's what you want as a parent.
>> Alex Carter: Oh Definitely.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You want to be able for them to come back and say something great.
But when they say something great and they mean it, you know --
>> Alex Carter: It’s like, in my mind of you I see like your name, and then I see a [inaudible]
always at the end of it.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: That's my symbol, you know, that love, family and honor. Always
love, family and honor.
>> Alex Carter: Well, I think this has been a pretty good interview.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I think so.
>> Alex Carter: I think we're pretty much – pretty much right there
>> Unidentified speaker: Do you mind if I ask you a couple more questions?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Absolutely.
>> Unidentified speaker: I was just curious about when, and you can chime in, too, Alex, just
about going back to school at a later age. What was it like just walking into the classroom for the
first time? What was going through your head? How did other people react to you and that sort
of thing?
>> Alex Carter: Usually think you’re the professor.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Exactly, that is so funny because at the start
>> Alex Carter: That’s a great way to get rid of students when you’re trying to waitlist into a
class.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: –of semester, at the start of the semester when I'd go in -- you know,
first of all I'm probably the most overdressed coed in a classroom because I've got to go to work
after that. I have this little part-time job at this nonprofit so I have to be dressed appropriately. So
I'm in there in a business suit or just dressed nicely. So automatically
>> Alex Carter: Well you are a business major, so it’s okay.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Well, yeah. But the students automatically think, oh, she must be the
professor. And then here comes a question, “oh, are you professor so and so?” And I go “no”. I
am a student. I'm wearing a backpack and things. But also not just from the students but from the
professor. I don't know if I am intimidate them because they are my peers. Most of them are my
age. And then sometimes younger so there–So I often wonder what goes through their head. You
know, here–here this woman is 55 years old, whether or not they looked up my age, but they can
obviously see.
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, even being 36 and being in a classroom with 18 and 19 year old kids, it’s
like, it’s intimidating and it makes you feel old. Makes you feel old. Like so old it’s ridiculous
and I’m not even the same age as you and like yeah like it’s just–
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Well, it's funny because being around that youth it makes me
automatically more youthful, more in tune with people that are younger, people that are
Tatianna's age.
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, it kind of makes you hip.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yeah, it does. It—it like automatically puts me in the cool zone. So
that's that. And then I'm up-to-date on technology which most people my age are not. I was
teaching Brandon this morning how to use Snapchat, and this is my 36 year old son. He's like,
mom, my mom knows more technology than I do.
>> Alex Carter: And if I’m not mistaken didn’t you tell me that there was a young man who
actually hit on you? Who was like 25 or something?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: And we need to archive this.
>> Alex Carter: I’m just saying for a lady of your age to be hit on by such a young person that
must of felt pretty decent.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Thank you. I'm not putting notches in my belt, thank you very much.
>> Unidentified speaker: Do you guys have any specific stories just of like being [Inaudible]
professor or professors reacting to you that come to mind?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know it–it–, there is. And you were there when I asked the
professor. It was in a finance class that I had. And the professor, you know, I was struggling. I
didn't know how -- and I knew I wasn't going to pass this class. And I thought, gosh, let's go over
the test, let me just talk to him because I was like this is not happening. And remember, Alex, I
asked you to go with me.
>> Alex Carter: Yep. I was out there standing in the hallway.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: And we had been studying. And so I go into the professor's office
waiting, and here he comes in. And he's asking me these questions, and I'm like searching for the
answers. And then it starts coming out of me. And he's like you know this stuff. And I said I
know, but I'm not a good test taker. I go in there, you know, and I said, you know, what is it, why
do you [inaudible] teach somebody like me. What do you think about when you think, gosh, here
I am your age and I'm trying to learn this. And he just kind of sat. Do you remember he sat back
in his chair and he goes I love it?
>> Alex Carter: Love it. Yep.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I love it, love it. Because he was saying, hey, you're encouraging me
by, hey, I've already finished my education, but I'm teaching her. Yeah. And so that was --
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, anyone, at any age who’s decided to not continue college to go back and
strive and try to become, you know, something more.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: And I also had a challenge from a professor that was my peer, was my
age. But the way he was towards younger students and things, so because I am my age and he
was my peer I felt entitled to say, hey, it's not okay for you to talk down to students or talk this
>> Alex Carter: Or be disrespectful.
>> Anna Trigeros- Rocha: Or be disrespectful. And I looked him in the eye and go you need to
take this seriously. Because all I could think in the back of my head is if this were my daughter
in this college class with this professor and it was not a good, positive environment I would be
very much in their face.
>> Alex Carter: Oh Definitely.
>> Unidentified speaker: Do you remember what he was saying?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Well, it was a time when we had some really –
>> Alex Carter: It was probably just some snarky remark.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Well, no, it was a very particular circumstances where we were being
threatened as a campus from someone who we weren't sure whether or not was going to carry out
a threat. So it involved the whole campus. And we should be, you know, it's like with shooting
sprees on college campuses getting this message like something was happening. And so there
was these posts that came in on Twitter and things, and it's like some people were leaving. And I
remember looking across the hallway, and the professor across the way says, you know, oh go
ahead and go home, telling the kids. And I'm just waiting for the professor to come in. And he
comes in very nonchalantly, oh yeah, like I kind of heard about that. And then we go in and
we're sitting and it's like it's no big deal. And he says, well, don't worry, we're in the bottom of
the -- basement of this school. We're in the lower floor basically. And he says like these doors
like automatically lock. And I go that is not, you know—and I just blurted out.
>> Alex Carter: That doesn’t help, especially if you’re not–if you’re claustrophobic.
>> Anna Trigeros- Rocha: And I'm like that doesn't give me any–yeah, I go that's not giving me
peace of mind.
>> Alex Carter: Not even a little bit.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: That's not going to stop someone from knocking on the door, and
we're going to open the door. And I remember looking at him so seriously and I go you need to
take this seriously. You need to just, you know, this is not a joke. And I think just the way I
looked at him and the way I spoke and the tone of voice, well, that was kind of the beginning of
the end. Because really basically when that whole ordeal was over I lost a lot of respect for him
as a professor. It was the one and only class I've ever dropped because I didn't have, you know.
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, Campus threats are–are nothing you should ever take likely.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: No.
>> Alex Carter: Even if you don't think that they're actually going to be carrying it out. You
know it’s–we live in a time and age that you can't not take it seriously. No matter what is it is or
how big or small it is it should be treated with that kind of respect.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yeah, and it's sad to say that these things happen a little too often, a
little too much.
>> Unidentified speaker: We're just about out of time. But I wanted to actually see if you have
anything else to say to each other.
>> Alex Carter: Just pretty much this has been a lot of fun, Anna. I love talking with you always.
And I really enjoyed hearing about your family and about your dad. I'm glad that I got you to
tear up a little bit when you talked about graduation because it's a big deal. It's a milestone in
your life. And to go back at the age that you are and take all the classes you've taken and do
everything that you've done, all the hardships and all the times that you've taken a test, and had it
not been perfect and you're thinking to yourself like, oh man, you know, I don't know if I'm
going to make it through this and then you do–
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Do you remember sitting in the car after?
>> Alex Carter: Succeeding and you keep succeeding through all the trials and all being in the
trenches with you and us studying together until sunrises sometimes you know, to make sure that
it's true, it's all going to be done very soon. And you're going to have that cap and gown, and
you're going to get that diploma, and that's going to be a legacy that you can show your kids.
Look what your mom did, you know.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yeah. Well, it's been good.
>> Alex Carter: So thank you, thank you for letting me like have this interview with you.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Thank you, thank you, thank you. It's been a good thing. Good
friendship. When, you know, I called the kids and they weren't going to be in town you were the
first person I thought of,
>> Alex Carter: Thanks.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know. So I guess we're done.
16, 2016, and I am on the campus of Fresno State University. And I am here talking with Alex
Carter who is a very wonderful, dear friend of mine.
>> Alex Carter: Hi, and I'm Alex Carter, age is 36, and today's day is April 16, 2016. Also here
at Fresno State Campus-wow, almost said city. And here with my lovely friend Anna RochaTrigeros-Rocha, I should say the hyphenation because that’s important. So we're going to be
asking Anna some questions and having some fun and hopefully make her laugh and cry a little
bit.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Thanks.
>> Alex Carter: You got it, so I'm going to go ahead and kick off a question now if you're ready,
yeah, you ready? Okay cool, so my first question to you, Anna, would be what were your parents
like?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Well, anything that I've ever heard about them because it has to be
past tense because they've been gone. My father passed away when I was ten, my mother when I
was 23. And so they've been gone a long time. So, but they were wonderful people. My father
was raised on a farm, and he really made something of himself. He only had a sixth grade
education. But married my mother because she was smart. She was born in 1927, and she was
probably one of the very few women in her community that graduated from high school. So he
caught onto her. She was smart. And he kind of built that legacy of going on to higher education.
I remember when I was nine years old he went to—got—went back to school and got his GED at
50.
>> Alex Carter: That’s big.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: And then after he got his GED he went on to business school and
graduated in accounting. So that was kind of my inspiration because, again, I lost him at ten
years old. So that kind of built in, and I think what's most heartwarming is that anyone to this day
whoever talks about my father is always with the utmost respect and dignity of how he was and
the legacy he left.
>> Alex Carter: So it sounds like education was pretty important to your dad to though.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: It really was. It really was. And growing up I knew that -- you know, I
went to high school—I went to—after high school I went to community college. And I was
serious but not serious because at that time I met my future husband and got married and had
children and so. But it was always in the back of my head to continue.
>> Alex Carter: So what was your childhood like?
>> Anna-Trigeros Rocha: It was—
>> Alex Carter: Like, I mean you lost your parents at ten?
>> Anna-Trigeros Rocha: I lost my mom—excuse me— I lost my dad when I was ten, but I lost
my mom when I was 23. So, I had her a little bit longer, but life was hard. You know, she grew
up—when we grew up— the loss of my dad made it really hard for her. And so she went into
substance abuse. And because of that it was hard, but she was never a bad parent or anything like
that. At most, she was always very encouraging. So then I started to, you know, get married,
raise my family. But the goal of education never left my head. It never did.
>> Alex Carter: So only child? Do you have siblings? You have siblings, I know you do.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I do, I do. I have siblings. I am the youngest of four. I have two older
sisters and one older brother. It was really not only losing my parents at a young age, but I just
lost my brother about 16 months ago so that's pretty fresh and it hurts. But my Mikey, my
brother, is still very much present in my life.
>> Alex Carter: So if Mike knew you were doing this today what do you think he'd say?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know, Mike does know that I'm doing it. I have to know in my
heart that he knows and sees what I'm doing. But when he was here and I was in school, and he
was still always encouraging all my stories. So I'm his little sister, and when I finish and go
across that stage he will be with me.
>> Alex Carter: So can I ask you when did you first find out that you were going to be parent
and how did that make you feel?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: When I first found out I was going to be a parent was with my son
Brandon [assumed spelling] who is now going to be, let's see, Brandon will be 36 this year. And
when I found out I was expecting a child I was really excited. But when I found out I was
expecting a son I was even more excited. He is the love of my life. He's a great son, a great
protector, and probably one of my biggest supporters.
>> Alex Carter: How would you say that being a parent has changed your life?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Well it’s changed—I changed my life when I knew I was going to be a
parent. I changed my whole way of life, my whole way of thinking, who I was because I wanted
to be the best darn parent I could be. And so it's by showing my children the example. When they
were young I was strict. I was their parent. But now that they're all grown we have a great
relationship because I am their friend as well as their parent.
>> Alex Carter: Did you feel like you had to give up on college when you found out that you
were going to be a parent? How did that all work?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know I didn't give up on it. I just put it aside, and I really didn't
see how I could manage working, you know, being a full-time parent, a full- time employee and
a full-time wife. I'm like how could I –
>> Alex Carter: Something had to give.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Something had to give, and how could I continue on? And so, again, it
was like -- in my employment history I always had really good jobs. But I only got so far in the
education, and not having that formal education is always what kept me back, you know? Gosh,
it would be great, we would hire you if you had that degree or if. So I had to take care of the if.
>> Alex Carter: So really it sounds like when you found out you were going to be a mother that
became your biggest priority at that point in time of your life?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yes, yes. So I'm still a great mom.
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, well absolutely you are, so something had to be put on the back burner at
least for a while and that—that was college?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: That was, that was. And, you know, we could kind of fast forward to it
was on the back burner and it wasn't far away. But then life changes and takes its turns. And six
years ago I went through a divorce which I really didn't think I was going to have to be in that
situation. But, you know what, I was. And it took a lot of strength to make a decision to leave a
29 year marriage, but it was something that I needed to do for me. So in doing that, taking that
29 years of being a wife and a mother, I needed to create a new identity. I needed to create an
identity for myself. And there began a journey of what I needed to do for the rest of my life. I
knew I had to support myself and be financially independent. And my youngest was almost
ready to go to college. And then you know, I had two grown children that were married at the
time.
>> Alex Carter: So, we've talked before, so Ray was an alcoholic?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yes, yes.
>> Alex Carter: Kind of verbally abusive to you as well?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: He was.
>> Alex Carter: You said those were probably the chief reasons why you decided to leave him?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: They were, they were because I had finally come to the point in life
where I didn't want to live my life like that. I wanted to live my life and be successful, be
everything that I wanted to be. And I couldn't do that and be independent and be that person
because I was constantly being dragged down. And you know, it just wasn't a good, healthy
situation. So I toughened up and did what I needed to do.
>> Alex Carter: So when you left him you took a trip. Where'd you go?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Actually that's funny you should ask me that. Probably the most life
changing events up until that point besides my—the birth of my beautiful children was a trip to
Paris I took. And that was a year before I left my husband I took a trip to Paris. It is something
that I had dreamed about since I was a kid in high school dreaming and taking two years of
French. I took—I went to Paris with my sister. We spent ten days. And it was life changing,
Alex, because I remember that I was there in the subway in Paris hearing Frank Sinatra all in
English. And I thought, here I am 5,000 miles away from my husband, and I couldn't be happier.
And I thought, gosh, if I could be happy here in this point in time and I'm not with him, I'm not
with anyone but I'm here by myself and I can be happy, that was like an epiphany for me because
it was like that meant that I could do this. And within six months I did it. I left.
>> Alex Carter: So you left him.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I did, I left.
>> Alex Carter: You stood up for yourself, and you went out on your own even though you had
been married to him for 29 years and had three kids together?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yeah, yeah, yeah—
>> Alex Carter: Wow, you’re tough.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know, it’s just—and that whole thing was --
>> Alex Carter: And shortly thereafter you went to college.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yeah, and the whole thing was is I didn't do like some women plan
ahead, stock money up and things like that. No, I did it in a total leap of faith. I didn't know—
>> Alex Carter: How old were you when you went to college?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: When I started I went and took the basic placement test. I was 49
years old. Thank you for reminding me. I was 49 years old taking a placement test to go to
community college. The classes that I had taken 100 years ago in 1979 were not going to transfer
so I had to start from square one.
>> Alex Carter: So many years since you had graduated high school or had other higher
education before you went back, like I mean—
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Thirty years.
>> Alex Carter: Thirty years.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I graduated in 1978. So it had been upwards of 30 years. And here I
am in 2010, I left my husband in 2010, and by June I was starting classes.
>> Alex Carter: So you were just like bang bang—
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: So I was like let's get this done.
>> Alex Carter: —I’m on a mission, I’m going to start my life and I'm going to build it up. Even
though—
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Exactly. As long as I'm going to get older I might as well get smarter.
>> Alex Carter: That's brave.
>> Unidentified Speaker: Can I ask what was going through your head? Like were you scared,
like what were the emotions at that time?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: To—Oh, absolutely I was scared. I was scared. I was scared that I
wasn't smart enough. I thought whom am I. I'm 49 years old. I have a high school education. I
have work experience, but I don't know if I have it in me to learn what I need to learn to see this
through. I thought, you know, this is just going to be something to get me through a time—a hard
time. I'm going to focus on classes. I'm going to do something, and in the back of my head I was
trying to encourage my daughter who was in her last couple years of high school. And I knew
that I wanted her to go on to college. And I thought what better way to show her that you can still
do it and go to college. And, look, if your mom can do it you can do it.
>> Alex Carter: What's her name?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Tatianna [phonetic]. Tatianna is my baby girl.
>> Alex Carter: Beautiful name.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Brandon my son, Jamie Nicole [assumed spelling] my daughter, and
Tatianna Alegra [phonetic]. They are my pride and joy. They are the reason that I do what I do.
>> Alex Carter: Had anyone in your family before that gone to college?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know, my parents didn't go to college. And then my older sisters,
my actual -- I was just talking to her today. My sister, Rebecca [assumed spelling], she went on - in her late 30s went back to school and earned her bachelor’s degree. She was working at a
really great company and knew the same thing. She was divorced, a single parent. And so she
kind of paved the way to say, hey, you know you can go on and do it. Of course, she was
younger than I was back when she started. But she's always been an inspiration as well because
she did it as well.
>> Alex Carter: And how has being a Hispanic women in her 50s affected you?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know that's the funny thing. It's like I'm probably the least
Hispanic people you know as far as looking, but the cultures in me. It's in there. It's in the music
and who I am. So I may not have an accent, but that doesn't mean I don't think with an accent.
That doesn't mean that I am not who I -- you know, because I'm not your stereotypical person, I
am still very much Mexican descent, and I am proud of it. So that's all—that’s who I am.
>> Alex Carter: See and this is why I'm happy I'm giving you this interview. Because, you know,
at 36 years old and me deciding to go to college after speaking with you and getting inspired and
thinking to myself like if you can do it, Anna, then I can do it. And I hope that anybody else who
listens to this recording today like realizes that they can do it too, like you're not too old. You're
an inspiration. You deserve what we're doing right now.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Thank you. Well, you know, it's never too late to learn. And you
know, I know you've heard me say my name and things. And Anna Trigeros-Rocha is really
important. And a lot of people wonder why I insist on the Anna Trigeros-Rocha. Well, you
know, I told you the story about my dad and him dying when I was ten. Santos Trigeros was his
name. And so I grew up, up until I married being Anna Trigeros. And my ex-husband would not
let me hyphenate my name. He was insulted that I would not take his name. So ten years into the
marriage I thought, you know, I'm going to be who I am, and I was Anna Trigeros-Rocha. But I
wanted to – you know now that here I am almost graduating, five weeks into graduation, I
applied to have my diploma name saying Anna Trigeros-Rocha. I went to the degree advising to
show them who I was, Anna Trigeros, who I am, I'm divorced, everything like that. And they
sent me an email back saying I'm sorry, we can't change it, this is the way your legal name is,
your school records. I was disappointed because it meant everything to me, the Trigeros name.
You know, having my dad gone, my only brother Michael gone, and Michael never married or
had children. So the Trigeros name in our little family was going to be gone. So it was up to me
to keep that going. And here I was not going to be able to get that going. But I happened to meet
someone who was very influential here on the campus. I told her my story. She put her influence
in, and I am getting my degree granted in the name of Anna Trigeros-Rocha which is everything
that I want. It means I can look up and say, hey mom, hey dad, hey Mikey, I did it, Anna
Trigeros-Rocha, I did it.
>> Alex Carter: Are there any words of wisdom you'd like to pass along to me?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know what, don't give up. Life is going to be hard. It's not going
to be easy. It's a culmination, but it's who you are. If you have the strength to stick it out, you
know. And every moment you can't go back and get time back, but you have your whole future
to look ahead of you, Alex. You need to look in my eyes and know that whatever life throws at
you, you're strong, and you can do it. And look around. There's plenty of people who love you.
And if you need support don't be afraid to ask—
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, That’s hard for me.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: —Hey, I need you.
>> Alex Carter: That’s really hard for me.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I know it's hard for you, it's hard for me. But if I want to sit home in
my home I've got plenty of stories to feel sorry about myself. But, you know, when I start to get
that way I make a phone call. Don't I call you?
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, you do. Yeah, you do.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I'll call you, I'll call other friends. And it's like I don't have to say, hey,
I'm really down, come and see me or things. It's like get out. I talk to my kids on the phone.
Brandon is in Tennessee on a job assignment, we're talking on the phone, we're laughing, we're
talking. Jamie is down in LA. Poor little thing she's struggling. She's in community college. I
mean for her to do what she's done as far as even attempting to go back to school, having a
learning disability, she is the one who makes me proudest because she's down there doing it
every day. And my little fighter Tatianna, she will graduate in June. UC-Santa Barbara couldn't
be prouder. She's amazing. So I mean, if anything else did I leave that?
>> Alex Carter: I saw on Facebook that she had a pretty good championship not that long ago,
with rowing?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Oh, my gosh, she was elated in rowing. The whole part of her being in
the rowing program at UC-Santa Barbara, how many little Hispanic kids from Fresno are on the
rowing team? You know, it was amazing. When we went to Boston and we're on the Harvard
campus, Harvard, Yale, all these big Ivy League schools, and my little kid from Fresno is rowing
with the best of the best. I thought, gosh, does it get any better than that?
>> Alex Carter: Do you think that she was inspired by you, that you know, you went to college
and that maybe made her think she could do it, too? To go so far away from Fresno and do all the
things she does?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I like to think so. And we talked about that. She was accepted to go to
Columbia. And I had to sit there and talk to her frankly gong, “mija, that's great, but if you get
homesick or something I can't fly you from New York to Fresno. But if you go away to school to
Santa Barbara, better”. You know, I said, “I want you to have experiences, I want you to know
that there's more to life than just this little town. You'll meet a lot of people and do things.” And
here she'd come from being on the swim team and polo team all through high school. And for her
to be out there on her own she's grown so much as a person. And she couldn't have had better
experiences.
>> Alex Carter: She's close but she's still kind of alone.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Right. And that's the thing. She knows that she's four hours away. I
can come—go to see her, she can come to see me. We have— we talk on the phone, Skype, You
know. The three of us, myself and the three kids you know, we get on Skype and we're all
together. We're constantly in touch so that even though I'm here in Fresno, Brandon's traveling,
Jamie's in LA and Tatianna is in Santa Barbara but we're still, you know, yeah.
>> Alex Carter: We’re all moving forward, when in life have you felt more alone? We just
talked about how they're all kind of together but they're all kind of alone right now. Have you
ever felt alone? And so during your college career what would you say is your most alone?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: When I feel like I can't. I think when I feel like I'm there by myself
and I'm studying. And I'm studying and things aren't just coming to my head. And I'm like how
am I ever going to learn these math formulas? How am I ever going to conquer this? And believe
me still to this day it's not easy. But it's like I just -- I think it was Brandon who told me, he says,
you know, whatever it is it's temporary. This is how you feel right now right at this moment. But
you know, the next morning or a couple hours later you're going to forget about it.
>> Alex Carter: And those equations, those equations don't change. They're the same equations.
But we as people we can evolve. We can adapt. We can overcome. We can change to suit the
problem.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yeah, well I'm learning that. It's still not my favorite subject. It doesn't
matter how you spin it, Alex, I'm just not loving it.
>> Alex Carter: You can do it, Anna.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yes, you can.
>> Alex Carter: And you are doing it, and you're going to be graduating soon, right?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Absolutely.
>> Alex Carter: So that's big.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Absolutely.
>> Alex Carter: So another question. Who has been the biggest influence in your life as a
student, and what lessons that they taught you?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Are you referring to anyone specifically?
>> Alex Carter: No, I mean, no. I mean, if you want to pick me, I wouldn’t say that’s a bad
thing, but—.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Everyone in my life has inspired me in somehow some way, what they
do or where they've come from. I pick my circle of friends very carefully. And because of that
you have your story that drew me to you, who you are and what you've been through, and we
encourage each other. Girlfriends that I've had you know, some of them are single parents, some
of them are -- you know, and they're all different ages and come from all different backgrounds
and education. But some of my friends I've had upwards of 20 some years. And I draw from
them as they draw from me which is what friendship is all about.
>> Alex Carter: Definitely.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: There are very few mentors that I have. For me having a male mentor
is everything to me. Because I didn't have my dad I gravitate towards mentors that are male who
-- you know, they have pretty big shoes to fill as far as what my dad and his legacy are, so there
are very few that I have enough respect for or admiration for, to call on them. And there's less
than a handful of people, you know, that are there and that I've been able to have a special
mentor that I have the utmost respect for, admiration for, and my life has been better in the two
years that I've had this friendship. It will be something lasting for the rest of my life. And I hope
that that will always continue and be a part of that. You know, just—I told you about my
surrogate dad, Henry, and Henry has been instrumental. It's someone that I knew when I was
married. But whenever I ever want to call someone dad he's the only person in my life that I've
ever given him that title. And I said I hope you know how much it means to me to call you dad.
>> Alex Carter: What’s Henry’s last name?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Escobel [assumed spelling], Henry Escobel. Escobel is a pretty
important name to me. So there are only two men in this very small circle of mentors, and two of
them happen to be Escobels. How funny you should bring that up.
>> Alex Carter: Who was the other Escobel, I'm just curious.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: We shall remain nameless.
>> Alex Carter: Don’t want to talk about that one?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know what, again, just a wonderful human being, a wonderful
person. Someone that I will always aspire for. And, who knows, whatever God brings into my
path it doesn't matter how much I ask or much I plead, whatever God's plan is it is what it is.
>> Unidentified Speaker: How did Henry come into your life?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Henry came into my life, I met him when I was heavily involved in
church. And we just kind of gravitated towards each other. He has that very fatherly way about
him. And he would sit down and say, “Anna”, and spill out his life story and things. But he had a
very heartwarming way about him. I met Henry and his wife, and that was when I was still
married to Ray. So when we moved from down in southern California to Fresno we took a
camping trip with Henry and his wife and a bunch of friends from church. And that's where I got
to know him a little bit better. And, gosh, that was over 20 years ago. So Henry has been there
for the times in our lives when our children got married. When he took visits—when him and his
wife, Virginia, would come up to Yosemite we would join him when Brandon and Jamie were
little to go camping. So he's just kind of been that person. And it really broke my heart to have to
call Henry and tell him one day that I was divorcing Ray. And I thought, gosh, here I'm just
waiting for the fatherly lecture. But Henry said, “you know Anna, you do what you need to do,
and I will be here to support you in whatever way.” And so that's kind of been where we've
evolved from, a friendship. And Henry had a small heart attack a couple years ago. And Virginia
called me, and she goes I just wanted to let you know about your dad. And within the month
when I was down watching one of Tatianna's races I went to go see him. And we spent some
time together. And in all these years Henry's never been a real sentimental person. But Henry
gave me a ring that he says, “Anna, I want you to have this.” And so it was something that like
for him it was just a small token. For me it's like priceless. And I'm pretty much a sentimentalist.
You know that. You know there's a lot of things I'm going to be wearing on graduation day. A
little piece of my mom, a little piece of my dad, something from Mikey, you know, something
from everyone. I'm probably going to be rolling down the stage with everything that I have,
everything from everyone. And what I don't have physically is in my heart.
>> Alex Carter: So I know this about you. I know that there's a little statue—figurine that you're
notorious for carrying around with you on test times.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yeah.
>> Alex Carter: Why would you say you do that?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: First of all this little statue that I carry is a little tiny, itty bitty, golden
Buddha. And he's in my backpack. And having never grown up around eastern culture or what
that was all about, all I knew it was as a talisman for good luck. But in my first semester going to
school I took a communications class. Then I started researching what I was going to do. And I
was kind of interested in Feng Shui. So I kind of researched in that and got the whole thing
about, well, what is this Buddha, what does it represent, blah, blah, blah. So I looked at it, and
then it's like, you know, if this is talisman for good fortune then I'm going to get a little one, and
I'm going to keep it in my backpack. And believe me when I'm doing these tests like if it's a stats
exam, or I used it in algebra one day with the professor. And he goes, “you really think that's
going to bring me luck?” And I go “I've got to use all the forces I can”.
>> Alex Carter: What was that professor's name?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: That professor was Professor Hitchcock [assumed spelling], probably
my favorite.
>> Alex Carter: Roger Hitchcock.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Roger Hitchcock, yeah.
>> Alex Carter: Who also actually teaches here?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: He does, he is. And it's funny, I see Professor Hitchcock in the
hallways and he teases me. He goes, “Anna, are you still here?” And I go “I'm still here and I'm
almost finished”. I got it's sad to say that you're still doing the same job.
>> Alex Carter: He says the same thing to me all the time. He’s a great person, good sense of
humor.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Isn't that cool that you and I had the same professor?
>> Alex Carter: Yeah.
>> Unidentified speaker: Can you describe how you two met?
>> Alex Carter: How did we meet?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Oh, there's a story.
>> Alex Carter: So okay, we met when I was in high school. I became friends with Brandon
through choir. And Brandon didn't drive, and I was held back a year when I was young so I did
drive. And so I would pick Brandon up to take him to school. That way he could be cool riding
around with me instead of his folks and so—or having to walk. And so I would come to the
house and I would see Anna. And she'd always be there. And then as I got older I took a job at a
movie theater locally here in town called the Edwards Cinemas. And Anna actually worked
there. And we—we—so through Brandon and I and hanging out with his family I got to know
here a little bit. And then, again, through working at Edwards Cinemas got to know her even
better. And then we kind of fell out for a little while.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: We just lost touch because you grew up and went your way and do
your thing.
>> Alex Carter: Got with Nancy, you know, and I was with Nancy for 10 years. And then when
that didn't work out --
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Do you remember when we saw—first saw each other. Where were
you?
>> Alex Carter: Applebee’s.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: No, no, we were at the dog park.
>> Alex Carter: We were at the dog park.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You were the guy at the dog park in black slacks, a white shirt and a
tie. Who shows up at the dog park in a tie? But I was like—Brandon’s like
>> Alex Carter: I like to be—I like to dress nice.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Oh, come over here because Brandon was there with his dogs. I had
taken Pablo, my very cute little Morkie. So Pablo and I had gone to the dog park and there you
were. And that's how we reconnected. And then—then we went -- the first place we went to was
to have drinks at, what is it –
>> Alex Carter: Applebee’s?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: no, well yeah, we had, but it was, what do you call it, the Irish -Groggs [phonetic].
>> Alex Carter: Oh Groggs, that’s right.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Groggs, so yeah.
>> Alex Carter: So I got the prompt, we only have a few minutes left, and I definitely want to
ask you this one last question.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Okay, yes.
>> Alex Carter: What do you think is going to be the happiest moment of your life as a student?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Probably the happiest moment -- in what, you saved this for the last to
get me teary?
>> Alex Carter: That’s—That’s, you know, got to make you cry a little bit.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Is being—having that cap and gown on. It's having the gap and gown
on and looking at my three children in—in the aisle. And seeing the look on their face because I
did it for them. I did it for my mom, I did it for my dad, I did it for Mikey, but I did it for them.
I’ve always—everything I've done, everything I am is for them.
>> Alex Carter: For your kids.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: And they're my life. They are. And they—if they don't know it, and if
anybody knows me they know it. And Brandon, Jamie and Tatianna are the loves of my life.
Whatever I do, whatever I am, whatever I aspire to be is always for them, always, always.
Thanks a lot, Alex.
>> Alex Carter: Oh, your mascara didn’t run too bad.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: No, because I won't. But you know, it’s—it's meant everything to me
you know. When they were little growing up I changed my whole philosophy of life because I
wanted to be the best darn mother for them and teach them and show them. And, you know,
when they turn around and they give it back to me as far as Brandon is so loving and generous,
and he's such a gentle soul and loving, and when I hear him talk about me to someone else, or
someone else talks he just like that's my mom, you know?
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, because you're probably the most elegant lady I've ever known in my life.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: And thank you for that. Because I just, you know, Jamie is -- you
know, when you hear your kids talk about you with pride that's what you want as a parent.
>> Alex Carter: Oh Definitely.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You want to be able for them to come back and say something great.
But when they say something great and they mean it, you know --
>> Alex Carter: It’s like, in my mind of you I see like your name, and then I see a [inaudible]
always at the end of it.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: That's my symbol, you know, that love, family and honor. Always
love, family and honor.
>> Alex Carter: Well, I think this has been a pretty good interview.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I think so.
>> Alex Carter: I think we're pretty much – pretty much right there
>> Unidentified speaker: Do you mind if I ask you a couple more questions?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Absolutely.
>> Unidentified speaker: I was just curious about when, and you can chime in, too, Alex, just
about going back to school at a later age. What was it like just walking into the classroom for the
first time? What was going through your head? How did other people react to you and that sort
of thing?
>> Alex Carter: Usually think you’re the professor.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Exactly, that is so funny because at the start
>> Alex Carter: That’s a great way to get rid of students when you’re trying to waitlist into a
class.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: –of semester, at the start of the semester when I'd go in -- you know,
first of all I'm probably the most overdressed coed in a classroom because I've got to go to work
after that. I have this little part-time job at this nonprofit so I have to be dressed appropriately. So
I'm in there in a business suit or just dressed nicely. So automatically
>> Alex Carter: Well you are a business major, so it’s okay.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Well, yeah. But the students automatically think, oh, she must be the
professor. And then here comes a question, “oh, are you professor so and so?” And I go “no”. I
am a student. I'm wearing a backpack and things. But also not just from the students but from the
professor. I don't know if I am intimidate them because they are my peers. Most of them are my
age. And then sometimes younger so there–So I often wonder what goes through their head. You
know, here–here this woman is 55 years old, whether or not they looked up my age, but they can
obviously see.
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, even being 36 and being in a classroom with 18 and 19 year old kids, it’s
like, it’s intimidating and it makes you feel old. Makes you feel old. Like so old it’s ridiculous
and I’m not even the same age as you and like yeah like it’s just–
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Well, it's funny because being around that youth it makes me
automatically more youthful, more in tune with people that are younger, people that are
Tatianna's age.
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, it kind of makes you hip.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yeah, it does. It—it like automatically puts me in the cool zone. So
that's that. And then I'm up-to-date on technology which most people my age are not. I was
teaching Brandon this morning how to use Snapchat, and this is my 36 year old son. He's like,
mom, my mom knows more technology than I do.
>> Alex Carter: And if I’m not mistaken didn’t you tell me that there was a young man who
actually hit on you? Who was like 25 or something?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: And we need to archive this.
>> Alex Carter: I’m just saying for a lady of your age to be hit on by such a young person that
must of felt pretty decent.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Thank you. I'm not putting notches in my belt, thank you very much.
>> Unidentified speaker: Do you guys have any specific stories just of like being [Inaudible]
professor or professors reacting to you that come to mind?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know it–it–, there is. And you were there when I asked the
professor. It was in a finance class that I had. And the professor, you know, I was struggling. I
didn't know how -- and I knew I wasn't going to pass this class. And I thought, gosh, let's go over
the test, let me just talk to him because I was like this is not happening. And remember, Alex, I
asked you to go with me.
>> Alex Carter: Yep. I was out there standing in the hallway.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: And we had been studying. And so I go into the professor's office
waiting, and here he comes in. And he's asking me these questions, and I'm like searching for the
answers. And then it starts coming out of me. And he's like you know this stuff. And I said I
know, but I'm not a good test taker. I go in there, you know, and I said, you know, what is it, why
do you [inaudible] teach somebody like me. What do you think about when you think, gosh, here
I am your age and I'm trying to learn this. And he just kind of sat. Do you remember he sat back
in his chair and he goes I love it?
>> Alex Carter: Love it. Yep.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I love it, love it. Because he was saying, hey, you're encouraging me
by, hey, I've already finished my education, but I'm teaching her. Yeah. And so that was --
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, anyone, at any age who’s decided to not continue college to go back and
strive and try to become, you know, something more.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: And I also had a challenge from a professor that was my peer, was my
age. But the way he was towards younger students and things, so because I am my age and he
was my peer I felt entitled to say, hey, it's not okay for you to talk down to students or talk this
>> Alex Carter: Or be disrespectful.
>> Anna Trigeros- Rocha: Or be disrespectful. And I looked him in the eye and go you need to
take this seriously. Because all I could think in the back of my head is if this were my daughter
in this college class with this professor and it was not a good, positive environment I would be
very much in their face.
>> Alex Carter: Oh Definitely.
>> Unidentified speaker: Do you remember what he was saying?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Well, it was a time when we had some really –
>> Alex Carter: It was probably just some snarky remark.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Well, no, it was a very particular circumstances where we were being
threatened as a campus from someone who we weren't sure whether or not was going to carry out
a threat. So it involved the whole campus. And we should be, you know, it's like with shooting
sprees on college campuses getting this message like something was happening. And so there
was these posts that came in on Twitter and things, and it's like some people were leaving. And I
remember looking across the hallway, and the professor across the way says, you know, oh go
ahead and go home, telling the kids. And I'm just waiting for the professor to come in. And he
comes in very nonchalantly, oh yeah, like I kind of heard about that. And then we go in and
we're sitting and it's like it's no big deal. And he says, well, don't worry, we're in the bottom of
the -- basement of this school. We're in the lower floor basically. And he says like these doors
like automatically lock. And I go that is not, you know—and I just blurted out.
>> Alex Carter: That doesn’t help, especially if you’re not–if you’re claustrophobic.
>> Anna Trigeros- Rocha: And I'm like that doesn't give me any–yeah, I go that's not giving me
peace of mind.
>> Alex Carter: Not even a little bit.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: That's not going to stop someone from knocking on the door, and
we're going to open the door. And I remember looking at him so seriously and I go you need to
take this seriously. You need to just, you know, this is not a joke. And I think just the way I
looked at him and the way I spoke and the tone of voice, well, that was kind of the beginning of
the end. Because really basically when that whole ordeal was over I lost a lot of respect for him
as a professor. It was the one and only class I've ever dropped because I didn't have, you know.
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, Campus threats are–are nothing you should ever take likely.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: No.
>> Alex Carter: Even if you don't think that they're actually going to be carrying it out. You
know it’s–we live in a time and age that you can't not take it seriously. No matter what is it is or
how big or small it is it should be treated with that kind of respect.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yeah, and it's sad to say that these things happen a little too often, a
little too much.
>> Unidentified speaker: We're just about out of time. But I wanted to actually see if you have
anything else to say to each other.
>> Alex Carter: Just pretty much this has been a lot of fun, Anna. I love talking with you always.
And I really enjoyed hearing about your family and about your dad. I'm glad that I got you to
tear up a little bit when you talked about graduation because it's a big deal. It's a milestone in
your life. And to go back at the age that you are and take all the classes you've taken and do
everything that you've done, all the hardships and all the times that you've taken a test, and had it
not been perfect and you're thinking to yourself like, oh man, you know, I don't know if I'm
going to make it through this and then you do–
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Do you remember sitting in the car after?
>> Alex Carter: Succeeding and you keep succeeding through all the trials and all being in the
trenches with you and us studying together until sunrises sometimes you know, to make sure that
it's true, it's all going to be done very soon. And you're going to have that cap and gown, and
you're going to get that diploma, and that's going to be a legacy that you can show your kids.
Look what your mom did, you know.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yeah. Well, it's been good.
>> Alex Carter: So thank you, thank you for letting me like have this interview with you.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Thank you, thank you, thank you. It's been a good thing. Good
friendship. When, you know, I called the kids and they weren't going to be in town you were the
first person I thought of,
>> Alex Carter: Thanks.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know. So I guess we're done.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I'm Anna Trigeros-Rocha. I am 55 years old. Today is Saturday, April
16, 2016, and I am on the campus of Fresno State University. And I am here talking with Alex
Carter who is a very wonderful, dear friend of mine.
>> Alex Carter: Hi, and I'm Alex Carter, age is 36, and today's day is April 16, 2016. Also here
at Fresno State Campus-wow, almost said city. And here with my lovely friend Anna RochaTrigeros-Rocha, I should say the hyphenation because that’s important. So we're going to be
asking Anna some questions and having some fun and hopefully make her laugh and cry a little
bit.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Thanks.
>> Alex Carter: You got it, so I'm going to go ahead and kick off a question now if you're ready,
yeah, you ready? Okay cool, so my first question to you, Anna, would be what were your parents
like?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Well, anything that I've ever heard about them because it has to be
past tense because they've been gone. My father passed away when I was ten, my mother when I
was 23. And so they've been gone a long time. So, but they were wonderful people. My father
was raised on a farm, and he really made something of himself. He only had a sixth grade
education. But married my mother because she was smart. She was born in 1927, and she was
probably one of the very few women in her community that graduated from high school. So he
caught onto her. She was smart. And he kind of built that legacy of going on to higher education.
I remember when I was nine years old he went to—got—went back to school and got his GED at
50.
>> Alex Carter: That’s big.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: And then after he got his GED he went on to business school and
graduated in accounting. So that was kind of my inspiration because, again, I lost him at ten
years old. So that kind of built in, and I think what's most heartwarming is that anyone to this day
whoever talks about my father is always with the utmost respect and dignity of how he was and
the legacy he left.
>> Alex Carter: So it sounds like education was pretty important to your dad to though.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: It really was. It really was. And growing up I knew that -- you know, I
went to high school—I went to—after high school I went to community college. And I was
serious but not serious because at that time I met my future husband and got married and had
children and so. But it was always in the back of my head to continue.
>> Alex Carter: So what was your childhood like?
>> Anna-Trigeros Rocha: It was—
>> Alex Carter: Like, I mean you lost your parents at ten?
>> Anna-Trigeros Rocha: I lost my mom—excuse me— I lost my dad when I was ten, but I lost
my mom when I was 23. So, I had her a little bit longer, but life was hard. You know, she grew
up—when we grew up— the loss of my dad made it really hard for her. And so she went into
substance abuse. And because of that it was hard, but she was never a bad parent or anything like
that. At most, she was always very encouraging. So then I started to, you know, get married,
raise my family. But the goal of education never left my head. It never did.
>> Alex Carter: So only child? Do you have siblings? You have siblings, I know you do.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I do, I do. I have siblings. I am the youngest of four. I have two older
sisters and one older brother. It was really not only losing my parents at a young age, but I just
lost my brother about 16 months ago so that's pretty fresh and it hurts. But my Mikey, my
brother, is still very much present in my life.
>> Alex Carter: So if Mike knew you were doing this today what do you think he'd say?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know, Mike does know that I'm doing it. I have to know in my
heart that he knows and sees what I'm doing. But when he was here and I was in school, and he
was still always encouraging all my stories. So I'm his little sister, and when I finish and go
across that stage he will be with me.
>> Alex Carter: So can I ask you when did you first find out that you were going to be parent
and how did that make you feel?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: When I first found out I was going to be a parent was with my son
Brandon [assumed spelling] who is now going to be, let's see, Brandon will be 36 this year. And
when I found out I was expecting a child I was really excited. But when I found out I was
expecting a son I was even more excited. He is the love of my life. He's a great son, a great
protector, and probably one of my biggest supporters.
>> Alex Carter: How would you say that being a parent has changed your life?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Well it’s changed—I changed my life when I knew I was going to be a
parent. I changed my whole way of life, my whole way of thinking, who I was because I wanted
to be the best darn parent I could be. And so it's by showing my children the example. When they
were young I was strict. I was their parent. But now that they're all grown we have a great
relationship because I am their friend as well as their parent.
>> Alex Carter: Did you feel like you had to give up on college when you found out that you
were going to be a parent? How did that all work?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know I didn't give up on it. I just put it aside, and I really didn't
see how I could manage working, you know, being a full-time parent, a full- time employee and
a full-time wife. I'm like how could I –
>> Alex Carter: Something had to give.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Something had to give, and how could I continue on? And so, again, it
was like -- in my employment history I always had really good jobs. But I only got so far in the
education, and not having that formal education is always what kept me back, you know? Gosh,
it would be great, we would hire you if you had that degree or if. So I had to take care of the if.
>> Alex Carter: So really it sounds like when you found out you were going to be a mother that
became your biggest priority at that point in time of your life?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yes, yes. So I'm still a great mom.
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, well absolutely you are, so something had to be put on the back burner at
least for a while and that—that was college?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: That was, that was. And, you know, we could kind of fast forward to it
was on the back burner and it wasn't far away. But then life changes and takes its turns. And six
years ago I went through a divorce which I really didn't think I was going to have to be in that
situation. But, you know what, I was. And it took a lot of strength to make a decision to leave a
29 year marriage, but it was something that I needed to do for me. So in doing that, taking that
29 years of being a wife and a mother, I needed to create a new identity. I needed to create an
identity for myself. And there began a journey of what I needed to do for the rest of my life. I
knew I had to support myself and be financially independent. And my youngest was almost
ready to go to college. And then you know, I had two grown children that were married at the
time.
>> Alex Carter: So, we've talked before, so Ray was an alcoholic?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yes, yes.
>> Alex Carter: Kind of verbally abusive to you as well?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: He was.
>> Alex Carter: You said those were probably the chief reasons why you decided to leave him?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: They were, they were because I had finally come to the point in life
where I didn't want to live my life like that. I wanted to live my life and be successful, be
everything that I wanted to be. And I couldn't do that and be independent and be that person
because I was constantly being dragged down. And you know, it just wasn't a good, healthy
situation. So I toughened up and did what I needed to do.
>> Alex Carter: So when you left him you took a trip. Where'd you go?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Actually that's funny you should ask me that. Probably the most life
changing events up until that point besides my—the birth of my beautiful children was a trip to
Paris I took. And that was a year before I left my husband I took a trip to Paris. It is something
that I had dreamed about since I was a kid in high school dreaming and taking two years of
French. I took—I went to Paris with my sister. We spent ten days. And it was life changing,
Alex, because I remember that I was there in the subway in Paris hearing Frank Sinatra all in
English. And I thought, here I am 5,000 miles away from my husband, and I couldn't be happier.
And I thought, gosh, if I could be happy here in this point in time and I'm not with him, I'm not
with anyone but I'm here by myself and I can be happy, that was like an epiphany for me because
it was like that meant that I could do this. And within six months I did it. I left.
>> Alex Carter: So you left him.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I did, I left.
>> Alex Carter: You stood up for yourself, and you went out on your own even though you had
been married to him for 29 years and had three kids together?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yeah, yeah, yeah—
>> Alex Carter: Wow, you’re tough.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know, it’s just—and that whole thing was --
>> Alex Carter: And shortly thereafter you went to college.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yeah, and the whole thing was is I didn't do like some women plan
ahead, stock money up and things like that. No, I did it in a total leap of faith. I didn't know—
>> Alex Carter: How old were you when you went to college?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: When I started I went and took the basic placement test. I was 49
years old. Thank you for reminding me. I was 49 years old taking a placement test to go to
community college. The classes that I had taken 100 years ago in 1979 were not going to transfer
so I had to start from square one.
>> Alex Carter: So many years since you had graduated high school or had other higher
education before you went back, like I mean—
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Thirty years.
>> Alex Carter: Thirty years.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I graduated in 1978. So it had been upwards of 30 years. And here I
am in 2010, I left my husband in 2010, and by June I was starting classes.
>> Alex Carter: So you were just like bang bang—
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: So I was like let's get this done.
>> Alex Carter: —I’m on a mission, I’m going to start my life and I'm going to build it up. Even
though—
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Exactly. As long as I'm going to get older I might as well get smarter.
>> Alex Carter: That's brave.
>> Unidentified Speaker: Can I ask what was going through your head? Like were you scared,
like what were the emotions at that time?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: To—Oh, absolutely I was scared. I was scared. I was scared that I
wasn't smart enough. I thought whom am I. I'm 49 years old. I have a high school education. I
have work experience, but I don't know if I have it in me to learn what I need to learn to see this
through. I thought, you know, this is just going to be something to get me through a time—a hard
time. I'm going to focus on classes. I'm going to do something, and in the back of my head I was
trying to encourage my daughter who was in her last couple years of high school. And I knew
that I wanted her to go on to college. And I thought what better way to show her that you can still
do it and go to college. And, look, if your mom can do it you can do it.
>> Alex Carter: What's her name?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Tatianna [phonetic]. Tatianna is my baby girl.
>> Alex Carter: Beautiful name.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Brandon my son, Jamie Nicole [assumed spelling] my daughter, and
Tatianna Alegra [phonetic]. They are my pride and joy. They are the reason that I do what I do.
>> Alex Carter: Had anyone in your family before that gone to college?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know, my parents didn't go to college. And then my older sisters,
my actual -- I was just talking to her today. My sister, Rebecca [assumed spelling], she went on - in her late 30s went back to school and earned her bachelor’s degree. She was working at a
really great company and knew the same thing. She was divorced, a single parent. And so she
kind of paved the way to say, hey, you know you can go on and do it. Of course, she was
younger than I was back when she started. But she's always been an inspiration as well because
she did it as well.
>> Alex Carter: And how has being a Hispanic women in her 50s affected you?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know that's the funny thing. It's like I'm probably the least
Hispanic people you know as far as looking, but the cultures in me. It's in there. It's in the music
and who I am. So I may not have an accent, but that doesn't mean I don't think with an accent.
That doesn't mean that I am not who I -- you know, because I'm not your stereotypical person, I
am still very much Mexican descent, and I am proud of it. So that's all—that’s who I am.
>> Alex Carter: See and this is why I'm happy I'm giving you this interview. Because, you know,
at 36 years old and me deciding to go to college after speaking with you and getting inspired and
thinking to myself like if you can do it, Anna, then I can do it. And I hope that anybody else who
listens to this recording today like realizes that they can do it too, like you're not too old. You're
an inspiration. You deserve what we're doing right now.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Thank you. Well, you know, it's never too late to learn. And you
know, I know you've heard me say my name and things. And Anna Trigeros-Rocha is really
important. And a lot of people wonder why I insist on the Anna Trigeros-Rocha. Well, you
know, I told you the story about my dad and him dying when I was ten. Santos Trigeros was his
name. And so I grew up, up until I married being Anna Trigeros. And my ex-husband would not
let me hyphenate my name. He was insulted that I would not take his name. So ten years into the
marriage I thought, you know, I'm going to be who I am, and I was Anna Trigeros-Rocha. But I
wanted to – you know now that here I am almost graduating, five weeks into graduation, I
applied to have my diploma name saying Anna Trigeros-Rocha. I went to the degree advising to
show them who I was, Anna Trigeros, who I am, I'm divorced, everything like that. And they
sent me an email back saying I'm sorry, we can't change it, this is the way your legal name is,
your school records. I was disappointed because it meant everything to me, the Trigeros name.
You know, having my dad gone, my only brother Michael gone, and Michael never married or
had children. So the Trigeros name in our little family was going to be gone. So it was up to me
to keep that going. And here I was not going to be able to get that going. But I happened to meet
someone who was very influential here on the campus. I told her my story. She put her influence
in, and I am getting my degree granted in the name of Anna Trigeros-Rocha which is everything
that I want. It means I can look up and say, hey mom, hey dad, hey Mikey, I did it, Anna
Trigeros-Rocha, I did it.
>> Alex Carter: Are there any words of wisdom you'd like to pass along to me?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know what, don't give up. Life is going to be hard. It's not going
to be easy. It's a culmination, but it's who you are. If you have the strength to stick it out, you
know. And every moment you can't go back and get time back, but you have your whole future
to look ahead of you, Alex. You need to look in my eyes and know that whatever life throws at
you, you're strong, and you can do it. And look around. There's plenty of people who love you.
And if you need support don't be afraid to ask—
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, That’s hard for me.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: —Hey, I need you.
>> Alex Carter: That’s really hard for me.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I know it's hard for you, it's hard for me. But if I want to sit home in
my home I've got plenty of stories to feel sorry about myself. But, you know, when I start to get
that way I make a phone call. Don't I call you?
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, you do. Yeah, you do.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I'll call you, I'll call other friends. And it's like I don't have to say, hey,
I'm really down, come and see me or things. It's like get out. I talk to my kids on the phone.
Brandon is in Tennessee on a job assignment, we're talking on the phone, we're laughing, we're
talking. Jamie is down in LA. Poor little thing she's struggling. She's in community college. I
mean for her to do what she's done as far as even attempting to go back to school, having a
learning disability, she is the one who makes me proudest because she's down there doing it
every day. And my little fighter Tatianna, she will graduate in June. UC-Santa Barbara couldn't
be prouder. She's amazing. So I mean, if anything else did I leave that?
>> Alex Carter: I saw on Facebook that she had a pretty good championship not that long ago,
with rowing?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Oh, my gosh, she was elated in rowing. The whole part of her being in
the rowing program at UC-Santa Barbara, how many little Hispanic kids from Fresno are on the
rowing team? You know, it was amazing. When we went to Boston and we're on the Harvard
campus, Harvard, Yale, all these big Ivy League schools, and my little kid from Fresno is rowing
with the best of the best. I thought, gosh, does it get any better than that?
>> Alex Carter: Do you think that she was inspired by you, that you know, you went to college
and that maybe made her think she could do it, too? To go so far away from Fresno and do all the
things she does?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I like to think so. And we talked about that. She was accepted to go to
Columbia. And I had to sit there and talk to her frankly gong, “mija, that's great, but if you get
homesick or something I can't fly you from New York to Fresno. But if you go away to school to
Santa Barbara, better”. You know, I said, “I want you to have experiences, I want you to know
that there's more to life than just this little town. You'll meet a lot of people and do things.” And
here she'd come from being on the swim team and polo team all through high school. And for her
to be out there on her own she's grown so much as a person. And she couldn't have had better
experiences.
>> Alex Carter: She's close but she's still kind of alone.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Right. And that's the thing. She knows that she's four hours away. I
can come—go to see her, she can come to see me. We have— we talk on the phone, Skype, You
know. The three of us, myself and the three kids you know, we get on Skype and we're all
together. We're constantly in touch so that even though I'm here in Fresno, Brandon's traveling,
Jamie's in LA and Tatianna is in Santa Barbara but we're still, you know, yeah.
>> Alex Carter: We’re all moving forward, when in life have you felt more alone? We just
talked about how they're all kind of together but they're all kind of alone right now. Have you
ever felt alone? And so during your college career what would you say is your most alone?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: When I feel like I can't. I think when I feel like I'm there by myself
and I'm studying. And I'm studying and things aren't just coming to my head. And I'm like how
am I ever going to learn these math formulas? How am I ever going to conquer this? And believe
me still to this day it's not easy. But it's like I just -- I think it was Brandon who told me, he says,
you know, whatever it is it's temporary. This is how you feel right now right at this moment. But
you know, the next morning or a couple hours later you're going to forget about it.
>> Alex Carter: And those equations, those equations don't change. They're the same equations.
But we as people we can evolve. We can adapt. We can overcome. We can change to suit the
problem.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yeah, well I'm learning that. It's still not my favorite subject. It doesn't
matter how you spin it, Alex, I'm just not loving it.
>> Alex Carter: You can do it, Anna.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yes, you can.
>> Alex Carter: And you are doing it, and you're going to be graduating soon, right?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Absolutely.
>> Alex Carter: So that's big.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Absolutely.
>> Alex Carter: So another question. Who has been the biggest influence in your life as a
student, and what lessons that they taught you?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Are you referring to anyone specifically?
>> Alex Carter: No, I mean, no. I mean, if you want to pick me, I wouldn’t say that’s a bad
thing, but—.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Everyone in my life has inspired me in somehow some way, what they
do or where they've come from. I pick my circle of friends very carefully. And because of that
you have your story that drew me to you, who you are and what you've been through, and we
encourage each other. Girlfriends that I've had you know, some of them are single parents, some
of them are -- you know, and they're all different ages and come from all different backgrounds
and education. But some of my friends I've had upwards of 20 some years. And I draw from
them as they draw from me which is what friendship is all about.
>> Alex Carter: Definitely.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: There are very few mentors that I have. For me having a male mentor
is everything to me. Because I didn't have my dad I gravitate towards mentors that are male who
-- you know, they have pretty big shoes to fill as far as what my dad and his legacy are, so there
are very few that I have enough respect for or admiration for, to call on them. And there's less
than a handful of people, you know, that are there and that I've been able to have a special
mentor that I have the utmost respect for, admiration for, and my life has been better in the two
years that I've had this friendship. It will be something lasting for the rest of my life. And I hope
that that will always continue and be a part of that. You know, just—I told you about my
surrogate dad, Henry, and Henry has been instrumental. It's someone that I knew when I was
married. But whenever I ever want to call someone dad he's the only person in my life that I've
ever given him that title. And I said I hope you know how much it means to me to call you dad.
>> Alex Carter: What’s Henry’s last name?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Escobel [assumed spelling], Henry Escobel. Escobel is a pretty
important name to me. So there are only two men in this very small circle of mentors, and two of
them happen to be Escobels. How funny you should bring that up.
>> Alex Carter: Who was the other Escobel, I'm just curious.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: We shall remain nameless.
>> Alex Carter: Don’t want to talk about that one?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know what, again, just a wonderful human being, a wonderful
person. Someone that I will always aspire for. And, who knows, whatever God brings into my
path it doesn't matter how much I ask or much I plead, whatever God's plan is it is what it is.
>> Unidentified Speaker: How did Henry come into your life?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Henry came into my life, I met him when I was heavily involved in
church. And we just kind of gravitated towards each other. He has that very fatherly way about
him. And he would sit down and say, “Anna”, and spill out his life story and things. But he had a
very heartwarming way about him. I met Henry and his wife, and that was when I was still
married to Ray. So when we moved from down in southern California to Fresno we took a
camping trip with Henry and his wife and a bunch of friends from church. And that's where I got
to know him a little bit better. And, gosh, that was over 20 years ago. So Henry has been there
for the times in our lives when our children got married. When he took visits—when him and his
wife, Virginia, would come up to Yosemite we would join him when Brandon and Jamie were
little to go camping. So he's just kind of been that person. And it really broke my heart to have to
call Henry and tell him one day that I was divorcing Ray. And I thought, gosh, here I'm just
waiting for the fatherly lecture. But Henry said, “you know Anna, you do what you need to do,
and I will be here to support you in whatever way.” And so that's kind of been where we've
evolved from, a friendship. And Henry had a small heart attack a couple years ago. And Virginia
called me, and she goes I just wanted to let you know about your dad. And within the month
when I was down watching one of Tatianna's races I went to go see him. And we spent some
time together. And in all these years Henry's never been a real sentimental person. But Henry
gave me a ring that he says, “Anna, I want you to have this.” And so it was something that like
for him it was just a small token. For me it's like priceless. And I'm pretty much a sentimentalist.
You know that. You know there's a lot of things I'm going to be wearing on graduation day. A
little piece of my mom, a little piece of my dad, something from Mikey, you know, something
from everyone. I'm probably going to be rolling down the stage with everything that I have,
everything from everyone. And what I don't have physically is in my heart.
>> Alex Carter: So I know this about you. I know that there's a little statue—figurine that you're
notorious for carrying around with you on test times.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yeah.
>> Alex Carter: Why would you say you do that?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: First of all this little statue that I carry is a little tiny, itty bitty, golden
Buddha. And he's in my backpack. And having never grown up around eastern culture or what
that was all about, all I knew it was as a talisman for good luck. But in my first semester going to
school I took a communications class. Then I started researching what I was going to do. And I
was kind of interested in Feng Shui. So I kind of researched in that and got the whole thing
about, well, what is this Buddha, what does it represent, blah, blah, blah. So I looked at it, and
then it's like, you know, if this is talisman for good fortune then I'm going to get a little one, and
I'm going to keep it in my backpack. And believe me when I'm doing these tests like if it's a stats
exam, or I used it in algebra one day with the professor. And he goes, “you really think that's
going to bring me luck?” And I go “I've got to use all the forces I can”.
>> Alex Carter: What was that professor's name?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: That professor was Professor Hitchcock [assumed spelling], probably
my favorite.
>> Alex Carter: Roger Hitchcock.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Roger Hitchcock, yeah.
>> Alex Carter: Who also actually teaches here?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: He does, he is. And it's funny, I see Professor Hitchcock in the
hallways and he teases me. He goes, “Anna, are you still here?” And I go “I'm still here and I'm
almost finished”. I got it's sad to say that you're still doing the same job.
>> Alex Carter: He says the same thing to me all the time. He’s a great person, good sense of
humor.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Isn't that cool that you and I had the same professor?
>> Alex Carter: Yeah.
>> Unidentified speaker: Can you describe how you two met?
>> Alex Carter: How did we meet?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Oh, there's a story.
>> Alex Carter: So okay, we met when I was in high school. I became friends with Brandon
through choir. And Brandon didn't drive, and I was held back a year when I was young so I did
drive. And so I would pick Brandon up to take him to school. That way he could be cool riding
around with me instead of his folks and so—or having to walk. And so I would come to the
house and I would see Anna. And she'd always be there. And then as I got older I took a job at a
movie theater locally here in town called the Edwards Cinemas. And Anna actually worked
there. And we—we—so through Brandon and I and hanging out with his family I got to know
here a little bit. And then, again, through working at Edwards Cinemas got to know her even
better. And then we kind of fell out for a little while.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: We just lost touch because you grew up and went your way and do
your thing.
>> Alex Carter: Got with Nancy, you know, and I was with Nancy for 10 years. And then when
that didn't work out --
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Do you remember when we saw—first saw each other. Where were
you?
>> Alex Carter: Applebee’s.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: No, no, we were at the dog park.
>> Alex Carter: We were at the dog park.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You were the guy at the dog park in black slacks, a white shirt and a
tie. Who shows up at the dog park in a tie? But I was like—Brandon’s like
>> Alex Carter: I like to be—I like to dress nice.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Oh, come over here because Brandon was there with his dogs. I had
taken Pablo, my very cute little Morkie. So Pablo and I had gone to the dog park and there you
were. And that's how we reconnected. And then—then we went -- the first place we went to was
to have drinks at, what is it –
>> Alex Carter: Applebee’s?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: no, well yeah, we had, but it was, what do you call it, the Irish -Groggs [phonetic].
>> Alex Carter: Oh Groggs, that’s right.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Groggs, so yeah.
>> Alex Carter: So I got the prompt, we only have a few minutes left, and I definitely want to
ask you this one last question.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Okay, yes.
>> Alex Carter: What do you think is going to be the happiest moment of your life as a student?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Probably the happiest moment -- in what, you saved this for the last to
get me teary?
>> Alex Carter: That’s—That’s, you know, got to make you cry a little bit.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Is being—having that cap and gown on. It's having the gap and gown
on and looking at my three children in—in the aisle. And seeing the look on their face because I
did it for them. I did it for my mom, I did it for my dad, I did it for Mikey, but I did it for them.
I’ve always—everything I've done, everything I am is for them.
>> Alex Carter: For your kids.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: And they're my life. They are. And they—if they don't know it, and if
anybody knows me they know it. And Brandon, Jamie and Tatianna are the loves of my life.
Whatever I do, whatever I am, whatever I aspire to be is always for them, always, always.
Thanks a lot, Alex.
>> Alex Carter: Oh, your mascara didn’t run too bad.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: No, because I won't. But you know, it’s—it's meant everything to me
you know. When they were little growing up I changed my whole philosophy of life because I
wanted to be the best darn mother for them and teach them and show them. And, you know,
when they turn around and they give it back to me as far as Brandon is so loving and generous,
and he's such a gentle soul and loving, and when I hear him talk about me to someone else, or
someone else talks he just like that's my mom, you know?
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, because you're probably the most elegant lady I've ever known in my life.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: And thank you for that. Because I just, you know, Jamie is -- you
know, when you hear your kids talk about you with pride that's what you want as a parent.
>> Alex Carter: Oh Definitely.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You want to be able for them to come back and say something great.
But when they say something great and they mean it, you know --
>> Alex Carter: It’s like, in my mind of you I see like your name, and then I see a [inaudible]
always at the end of it.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: That's my symbol, you know, that love, family and honor. Always
love, family and honor.
>> Alex Carter: Well, I think this has been a pretty good interview.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I think so.
>> Alex Carter: I think we're pretty much – pretty much right there
>> Unidentified speaker: Do you mind if I ask you a couple more questions?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Absolutely.
>> Unidentified speaker: I was just curious about when, and you can chime in, too, Alex, just
about going back to school at a later age. What was it like just walking into the classroom for the
first time? What was going through your head? How did other people react to you and that sort
of thing?
>> Alex Carter: Usually think you’re the professor.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Exactly, that is so funny because at the start
>> Alex Carter: That’s a great way to get rid of students when you’re trying to waitlist into a
class.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: –of semester, at the start of the semester when I'd go in -- you know,
first of all I'm probably the most overdressed coed in a classroom because I've got to go to work
after that. I have this little part-time job at this nonprofit so I have to be dressed appropriately. So
I'm in there in a business suit or just dressed nicely. So automatically
>> Alex Carter: Well you are a business major, so it’s okay.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Well, yeah. But the students automatically think, oh, she must be the
professor. And then here comes a question, “oh, are you professor so and so?” And I go “no”. I
am a student. I'm wearing a backpack and things. But also not just from the students but from the
professor. I don't know if I am intimidate them because they are my peers. Most of them are my
age. And then sometimes younger so there–So I often wonder what goes through their head. You
know, here–here this woman is 55 years old, whether or not they looked up my age, but they can
obviously see.
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, even being 36 and being in a classroom with 18 and 19 year old kids, it’s
like, it’s intimidating and it makes you feel old. Makes you feel old. Like so old it’s ridiculous
and I’m not even the same age as you and like yeah like it’s just–
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Well, it's funny because being around that youth it makes me
automatically more youthful, more in tune with people that are younger, people that are
Tatianna's age.
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, it kind of makes you hip.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yeah, it does. It—it like automatically puts me in the cool zone. So
that's that. And then I'm up-to-date on technology which most people my age are not. I was
teaching Brandon this morning how to use Snapchat, and this is my 36 year old son. He's like,
mom, my mom knows more technology than I do.
>> Alex Carter: And if I’m not mistaken didn’t you tell me that there was a young man who
actually hit on you? Who was like 25 or something?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: And we need to archive this.
>> Alex Carter: I’m just saying for a lady of your age to be hit on by such a young person that
must of felt pretty decent.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Thank you. I'm not putting notches in my belt, thank you very much.
>> Unidentified speaker: Do you guys have any specific stories just of like being [Inaudible]
professor or professors reacting to you that come to mind?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know it–it–, there is. And you were there when I asked the
professor. It was in a finance class that I had. And the professor, you know, I was struggling. I
didn't know how -- and I knew I wasn't going to pass this class. And I thought, gosh, let's go over
the test, let me just talk to him because I was like this is not happening. And remember, Alex, I
asked you to go with me.
>> Alex Carter: Yep. I was out there standing in the hallway.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: And we had been studying. And so I go into the professor's office
waiting, and here he comes in. And he's asking me these questions, and I'm like searching for the
answers. And then it starts coming out of me. And he's like you know this stuff. And I said I
know, but I'm not a good test taker. I go in there, you know, and I said, you know, what is it, why
do you [inaudible] teach somebody like me. What do you think about when you think, gosh, here
I am your age and I'm trying to learn this. And he just kind of sat. Do you remember he sat back
in his chair and he goes I love it?
>> Alex Carter: Love it. Yep.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I love it, love it. Because he was saying, hey, you're encouraging me
by, hey, I've already finished my education, but I'm teaching her. Yeah. And so that was --
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, anyone, at any age who’s decided to not continue college to go back and
strive and try to become, you know, something more.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: And I also had a challenge from a professor that was my peer, was my
age. But the way he was towards younger students and things, so because I am my age and he
was my peer I felt entitled to say, hey, it's not okay for you to talk down to students or talk this
>> Alex Carter: Or be disrespectful.
>> Anna Trigeros- Rocha: Or be disrespectful. And I looked him in the eye and go you need to
take this seriously. Because all I could think in the back of my head is if this were my daughter
in this college class with this professor and it was not a good, positive environment I would be
very much in their face.
>> Alex Carter: Oh Definitely.
>> Unidentified speaker: Do you remember what he was saying?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Well, it was a time when we had some really –
>> Alex Carter: It was probably just some snarky remark.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Well, no, it was a very particular circumstances where we were being
threatened as a campus from someone who we weren't sure whether or not was going to carry out
a threat. So it involved the whole campus. And we should be, you know, it's like with shooting
sprees on college campuses getting this message like something was happening. And so there
was these posts that came in on Twitter and things, and it's like some people were leaving. And I
remember looking across the hallway, and the professor across the way says, you know, oh go
ahead and go home, telling the kids. And I'm just waiting for the professor to come in. And he
comes in very nonchalantly, oh yeah, like I kind of heard about that. And then we go in and
we're sitting and it's like it's no big deal. And he says, well, don't worry, we're in the bottom of
the -- basement of this school. We're in the lower floor basically. And he says like these doors
like automatically lock. And I go that is not, you know—and I just blurted out.
>> Alex Carter: That doesn’t help, especially if you’re not–if you’re claustrophobic.
>> Anna Trigeros- Rocha: And I'm like that doesn't give me any–yeah, I go that's not giving me
peace of mind.
>> Alex Carter: Not even a little bit.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: That's not going to stop someone from knocking on the door, and
we're going to open the door. And I remember looking at him so seriously and I go you need to
take this seriously. You need to just, you know, this is not a joke. And I think just the way I
looked at him and the way I spoke and the tone of voice, well, that was kind of the beginning of
the end. Because really basically when that whole ordeal was over I lost a lot of respect for him
as a professor. It was the one and only class I've ever dropped because I didn't have, you know.
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, Campus threats are–are nothing you should ever take likely.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: No.
>> Alex Carter: Even if you don't think that they're actually going to be carrying it out. You
know it’s–we live in a time and age that you can't not take it seriously. No matter what is it is or
how big or small it is it should be treated with that kind of respect.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yeah, and it's sad to say that these things happen a little too often, a
little too much.
>> Unidentified speaker: We're just about out of time. But I wanted to actually see if you have
anything else to say to each other.
>> Alex Carter: Just pretty much this has been a lot of fun, Anna. I love talking with you always.
And I really enjoyed hearing about your family and about your dad. I'm glad that I got you to
tear up a little bit when you talked about graduation because it's a big deal. It's a milestone in
your life. And to go back at the age that you are and take all the classes you've taken and do
everything that you've done, all the hardships and all the times that you've taken a test, and had it
not been perfect and you're thinking to yourself like, oh man, you know, I don't know if I'm
going to make it through this and then you do–
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Do you remember sitting in the car after?
>> Alex Carter: Succeeding and you keep succeeding through all the trials and all being in the
trenches with you and us studying together until sunrises sometimes you know, to make sure that
it's true, it's all going to be done very soon. And you're going to have that cap and gown, and
you're going to get that diploma, and that's going to be a legacy that you can show your kids.
Look what your mom did, you know.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yeah. Well, it's been good.
>> Alex Carter: So thank you, thank you for letting me like have this interview with you.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Thank you, thank you, thank you. It's been a good thing. Good
friendship. When, you know, I called the kids and they weren't going to be in town you were the
first person I thought of,
>> Alex Carter: Thanks.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know. So I guess we're done.
16, 2016, and I am on the campus of Fresno State University. And I am here talking with Alex
Carter who is a very wonderful, dear friend of mine.
>> Alex Carter: Hi, and I'm Alex Carter, age is 36, and today's day is April 16, 2016. Also here
at Fresno State Campus-wow, almost said city. And here with my lovely friend Anna RochaTrigeros-Rocha, I should say the hyphenation because that’s important. So we're going to be
asking Anna some questions and having some fun and hopefully make her laugh and cry a little
bit.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Thanks.
>> Alex Carter: You got it, so I'm going to go ahead and kick off a question now if you're ready,
yeah, you ready? Okay cool, so my first question to you, Anna, would be what were your parents
like?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Well, anything that I've ever heard about them because it has to be
past tense because they've been gone. My father passed away when I was ten, my mother when I
was 23. And so they've been gone a long time. So, but they were wonderful people. My father
was raised on a farm, and he really made something of himself. He only had a sixth grade
education. But married my mother because she was smart. She was born in 1927, and she was
probably one of the very few women in her community that graduated from high school. So he
caught onto her. She was smart. And he kind of built that legacy of going on to higher education.
I remember when I was nine years old he went to—got—went back to school and got his GED at
50.
>> Alex Carter: That’s big.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: And then after he got his GED he went on to business school and
graduated in accounting. So that was kind of my inspiration because, again, I lost him at ten
years old. So that kind of built in, and I think what's most heartwarming is that anyone to this day
whoever talks about my father is always with the utmost respect and dignity of how he was and
the legacy he left.
>> Alex Carter: So it sounds like education was pretty important to your dad to though.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: It really was. It really was. And growing up I knew that -- you know, I
went to high school—I went to—after high school I went to community college. And I was
serious but not serious because at that time I met my future husband and got married and had
children and so. But it was always in the back of my head to continue.
>> Alex Carter: So what was your childhood like?
>> Anna-Trigeros Rocha: It was—
>> Alex Carter: Like, I mean you lost your parents at ten?
>> Anna-Trigeros Rocha: I lost my mom—excuse me— I lost my dad when I was ten, but I lost
my mom when I was 23. So, I had her a little bit longer, but life was hard. You know, she grew
up—when we grew up— the loss of my dad made it really hard for her. And so she went into
substance abuse. And because of that it was hard, but she was never a bad parent or anything like
that. At most, she was always very encouraging. So then I started to, you know, get married,
raise my family. But the goal of education never left my head. It never did.
>> Alex Carter: So only child? Do you have siblings? You have siblings, I know you do.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I do, I do. I have siblings. I am the youngest of four. I have two older
sisters and one older brother. It was really not only losing my parents at a young age, but I just
lost my brother about 16 months ago so that's pretty fresh and it hurts. But my Mikey, my
brother, is still very much present in my life.
>> Alex Carter: So if Mike knew you were doing this today what do you think he'd say?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know, Mike does know that I'm doing it. I have to know in my
heart that he knows and sees what I'm doing. But when he was here and I was in school, and he
was still always encouraging all my stories. So I'm his little sister, and when I finish and go
across that stage he will be with me.
>> Alex Carter: So can I ask you when did you first find out that you were going to be parent
and how did that make you feel?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: When I first found out I was going to be a parent was with my son
Brandon [assumed spelling] who is now going to be, let's see, Brandon will be 36 this year. And
when I found out I was expecting a child I was really excited. But when I found out I was
expecting a son I was even more excited. He is the love of my life. He's a great son, a great
protector, and probably one of my biggest supporters.
>> Alex Carter: How would you say that being a parent has changed your life?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Well it’s changed—I changed my life when I knew I was going to be a
parent. I changed my whole way of life, my whole way of thinking, who I was because I wanted
to be the best darn parent I could be. And so it's by showing my children the example. When they
were young I was strict. I was their parent. But now that they're all grown we have a great
relationship because I am their friend as well as their parent.
>> Alex Carter: Did you feel like you had to give up on college when you found out that you
were going to be a parent? How did that all work?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know I didn't give up on it. I just put it aside, and I really didn't
see how I could manage working, you know, being a full-time parent, a full- time employee and
a full-time wife. I'm like how could I –
>> Alex Carter: Something had to give.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Something had to give, and how could I continue on? And so, again, it
was like -- in my employment history I always had really good jobs. But I only got so far in the
education, and not having that formal education is always what kept me back, you know? Gosh,
it would be great, we would hire you if you had that degree or if. So I had to take care of the if.
>> Alex Carter: So really it sounds like when you found out you were going to be a mother that
became your biggest priority at that point in time of your life?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yes, yes. So I'm still a great mom.
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, well absolutely you are, so something had to be put on the back burner at
least for a while and that—that was college?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: That was, that was. And, you know, we could kind of fast forward to it
was on the back burner and it wasn't far away. But then life changes and takes its turns. And six
years ago I went through a divorce which I really didn't think I was going to have to be in that
situation. But, you know what, I was. And it took a lot of strength to make a decision to leave a
29 year marriage, but it was something that I needed to do for me. So in doing that, taking that
29 years of being a wife and a mother, I needed to create a new identity. I needed to create an
identity for myself. And there began a journey of what I needed to do for the rest of my life. I
knew I had to support myself and be financially independent. And my youngest was almost
ready to go to college. And then you know, I had two grown children that were married at the
time.
>> Alex Carter: So, we've talked before, so Ray was an alcoholic?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yes, yes.
>> Alex Carter: Kind of verbally abusive to you as well?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: He was.
>> Alex Carter: You said those were probably the chief reasons why you decided to leave him?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: They were, they were because I had finally come to the point in life
where I didn't want to live my life like that. I wanted to live my life and be successful, be
everything that I wanted to be. And I couldn't do that and be independent and be that person
because I was constantly being dragged down. And you know, it just wasn't a good, healthy
situation. So I toughened up and did what I needed to do.
>> Alex Carter: So when you left him you took a trip. Where'd you go?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Actually that's funny you should ask me that. Probably the most life
changing events up until that point besides my—the birth of my beautiful children was a trip to
Paris I took. And that was a year before I left my husband I took a trip to Paris. It is something
that I had dreamed about since I was a kid in high school dreaming and taking two years of
French. I took—I went to Paris with my sister. We spent ten days. And it was life changing,
Alex, because I remember that I was there in the subway in Paris hearing Frank Sinatra all in
English. And I thought, here I am 5,000 miles away from my husband, and I couldn't be happier.
And I thought, gosh, if I could be happy here in this point in time and I'm not with him, I'm not
with anyone but I'm here by myself and I can be happy, that was like an epiphany for me because
it was like that meant that I could do this. And within six months I did it. I left.
>> Alex Carter: So you left him.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I did, I left.
>> Alex Carter: You stood up for yourself, and you went out on your own even though you had
been married to him for 29 years and had three kids together?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yeah, yeah, yeah—
>> Alex Carter: Wow, you’re tough.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know, it’s just—and that whole thing was --
>> Alex Carter: And shortly thereafter you went to college.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yeah, and the whole thing was is I didn't do like some women plan
ahead, stock money up and things like that. No, I did it in a total leap of faith. I didn't know—
>> Alex Carter: How old were you when you went to college?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: When I started I went and took the basic placement test. I was 49
years old. Thank you for reminding me. I was 49 years old taking a placement test to go to
community college. The classes that I had taken 100 years ago in 1979 were not going to transfer
so I had to start from square one.
>> Alex Carter: So many years since you had graduated high school or had other higher
education before you went back, like I mean—
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Thirty years.
>> Alex Carter: Thirty years.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I graduated in 1978. So it had been upwards of 30 years. And here I
am in 2010, I left my husband in 2010, and by June I was starting classes.
>> Alex Carter: So you were just like bang bang—
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: So I was like let's get this done.
>> Alex Carter: —I’m on a mission, I’m going to start my life and I'm going to build it up. Even
though—
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Exactly. As long as I'm going to get older I might as well get smarter.
>> Alex Carter: That's brave.
>> Unidentified Speaker: Can I ask what was going through your head? Like were you scared,
like what were the emotions at that time?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: To—Oh, absolutely I was scared. I was scared. I was scared that I
wasn't smart enough. I thought whom am I. I'm 49 years old. I have a high school education. I
have work experience, but I don't know if I have it in me to learn what I need to learn to see this
through. I thought, you know, this is just going to be something to get me through a time—a hard
time. I'm going to focus on classes. I'm going to do something, and in the back of my head I was
trying to encourage my daughter who was in her last couple years of high school. And I knew
that I wanted her to go on to college. And I thought what better way to show her that you can still
do it and go to college. And, look, if your mom can do it you can do it.
>> Alex Carter: What's her name?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Tatianna [phonetic]. Tatianna is my baby girl.
>> Alex Carter: Beautiful name.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Brandon my son, Jamie Nicole [assumed spelling] my daughter, and
Tatianna Alegra [phonetic]. They are my pride and joy. They are the reason that I do what I do.
>> Alex Carter: Had anyone in your family before that gone to college?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know, my parents didn't go to college. And then my older sisters,
my actual -- I was just talking to her today. My sister, Rebecca [assumed spelling], she went on - in her late 30s went back to school and earned her bachelor’s degree. She was working at a
really great company and knew the same thing. She was divorced, a single parent. And so she
kind of paved the way to say, hey, you know you can go on and do it. Of course, she was
younger than I was back when she started. But she's always been an inspiration as well because
she did it as well.
>> Alex Carter: And how has being a Hispanic women in her 50s affected you?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know that's the funny thing. It's like I'm probably the least
Hispanic people you know as far as looking, but the cultures in me. It's in there. It's in the music
and who I am. So I may not have an accent, but that doesn't mean I don't think with an accent.
That doesn't mean that I am not who I -- you know, because I'm not your stereotypical person, I
am still very much Mexican descent, and I am proud of it. So that's all—that’s who I am.
>> Alex Carter: See and this is why I'm happy I'm giving you this interview. Because, you know,
at 36 years old and me deciding to go to college after speaking with you and getting inspired and
thinking to myself like if you can do it, Anna, then I can do it. And I hope that anybody else who
listens to this recording today like realizes that they can do it too, like you're not too old. You're
an inspiration. You deserve what we're doing right now.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Thank you. Well, you know, it's never too late to learn. And you
know, I know you've heard me say my name and things. And Anna Trigeros-Rocha is really
important. And a lot of people wonder why I insist on the Anna Trigeros-Rocha. Well, you
know, I told you the story about my dad and him dying when I was ten. Santos Trigeros was his
name. And so I grew up, up until I married being Anna Trigeros. And my ex-husband would not
let me hyphenate my name. He was insulted that I would not take his name. So ten years into the
marriage I thought, you know, I'm going to be who I am, and I was Anna Trigeros-Rocha. But I
wanted to – you know now that here I am almost graduating, five weeks into graduation, I
applied to have my diploma name saying Anna Trigeros-Rocha. I went to the degree advising to
show them who I was, Anna Trigeros, who I am, I'm divorced, everything like that. And they
sent me an email back saying I'm sorry, we can't change it, this is the way your legal name is,
your school records. I was disappointed because it meant everything to me, the Trigeros name.
You know, having my dad gone, my only brother Michael gone, and Michael never married or
had children. So the Trigeros name in our little family was going to be gone. So it was up to me
to keep that going. And here I was not going to be able to get that going. But I happened to meet
someone who was very influential here on the campus. I told her my story. She put her influence
in, and I am getting my degree granted in the name of Anna Trigeros-Rocha which is everything
that I want. It means I can look up and say, hey mom, hey dad, hey Mikey, I did it, Anna
Trigeros-Rocha, I did it.
>> Alex Carter: Are there any words of wisdom you'd like to pass along to me?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know what, don't give up. Life is going to be hard. It's not going
to be easy. It's a culmination, but it's who you are. If you have the strength to stick it out, you
know. And every moment you can't go back and get time back, but you have your whole future
to look ahead of you, Alex. You need to look in my eyes and know that whatever life throws at
you, you're strong, and you can do it. And look around. There's plenty of people who love you.
And if you need support don't be afraid to ask—
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, That’s hard for me.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: —Hey, I need you.
>> Alex Carter: That’s really hard for me.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I know it's hard for you, it's hard for me. But if I want to sit home in
my home I've got plenty of stories to feel sorry about myself. But, you know, when I start to get
that way I make a phone call. Don't I call you?
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, you do. Yeah, you do.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I'll call you, I'll call other friends. And it's like I don't have to say, hey,
I'm really down, come and see me or things. It's like get out. I talk to my kids on the phone.
Brandon is in Tennessee on a job assignment, we're talking on the phone, we're laughing, we're
talking. Jamie is down in LA. Poor little thing she's struggling. She's in community college. I
mean for her to do what she's done as far as even attempting to go back to school, having a
learning disability, she is the one who makes me proudest because she's down there doing it
every day. And my little fighter Tatianna, she will graduate in June. UC-Santa Barbara couldn't
be prouder. She's amazing. So I mean, if anything else did I leave that?
>> Alex Carter: I saw on Facebook that she had a pretty good championship not that long ago,
with rowing?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Oh, my gosh, she was elated in rowing. The whole part of her being in
the rowing program at UC-Santa Barbara, how many little Hispanic kids from Fresno are on the
rowing team? You know, it was amazing. When we went to Boston and we're on the Harvard
campus, Harvard, Yale, all these big Ivy League schools, and my little kid from Fresno is rowing
with the best of the best. I thought, gosh, does it get any better than that?
>> Alex Carter: Do you think that she was inspired by you, that you know, you went to college
and that maybe made her think she could do it, too? To go so far away from Fresno and do all the
things she does?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I like to think so. And we talked about that. She was accepted to go to
Columbia. And I had to sit there and talk to her frankly gong, “mija, that's great, but if you get
homesick or something I can't fly you from New York to Fresno. But if you go away to school to
Santa Barbara, better”. You know, I said, “I want you to have experiences, I want you to know
that there's more to life than just this little town. You'll meet a lot of people and do things.” And
here she'd come from being on the swim team and polo team all through high school. And for her
to be out there on her own she's grown so much as a person. And she couldn't have had better
experiences.
>> Alex Carter: She's close but she's still kind of alone.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Right. And that's the thing. She knows that she's four hours away. I
can come—go to see her, she can come to see me. We have— we talk on the phone, Skype, You
know. The three of us, myself and the three kids you know, we get on Skype and we're all
together. We're constantly in touch so that even though I'm here in Fresno, Brandon's traveling,
Jamie's in LA and Tatianna is in Santa Barbara but we're still, you know, yeah.
>> Alex Carter: We’re all moving forward, when in life have you felt more alone? We just
talked about how they're all kind of together but they're all kind of alone right now. Have you
ever felt alone? And so during your college career what would you say is your most alone?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: When I feel like I can't. I think when I feel like I'm there by myself
and I'm studying. And I'm studying and things aren't just coming to my head. And I'm like how
am I ever going to learn these math formulas? How am I ever going to conquer this? And believe
me still to this day it's not easy. But it's like I just -- I think it was Brandon who told me, he says,
you know, whatever it is it's temporary. This is how you feel right now right at this moment. But
you know, the next morning or a couple hours later you're going to forget about it.
>> Alex Carter: And those equations, those equations don't change. They're the same equations.
But we as people we can evolve. We can adapt. We can overcome. We can change to suit the
problem.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yeah, well I'm learning that. It's still not my favorite subject. It doesn't
matter how you spin it, Alex, I'm just not loving it.
>> Alex Carter: You can do it, Anna.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yes, you can.
>> Alex Carter: And you are doing it, and you're going to be graduating soon, right?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Absolutely.
>> Alex Carter: So that's big.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Absolutely.
>> Alex Carter: So another question. Who has been the biggest influence in your life as a
student, and what lessons that they taught you?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Are you referring to anyone specifically?
>> Alex Carter: No, I mean, no. I mean, if you want to pick me, I wouldn’t say that’s a bad
thing, but—.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Everyone in my life has inspired me in somehow some way, what they
do or where they've come from. I pick my circle of friends very carefully. And because of that
you have your story that drew me to you, who you are and what you've been through, and we
encourage each other. Girlfriends that I've had you know, some of them are single parents, some
of them are -- you know, and they're all different ages and come from all different backgrounds
and education. But some of my friends I've had upwards of 20 some years. And I draw from
them as they draw from me which is what friendship is all about.
>> Alex Carter: Definitely.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: There are very few mentors that I have. For me having a male mentor
is everything to me. Because I didn't have my dad I gravitate towards mentors that are male who
-- you know, they have pretty big shoes to fill as far as what my dad and his legacy are, so there
are very few that I have enough respect for or admiration for, to call on them. And there's less
than a handful of people, you know, that are there and that I've been able to have a special
mentor that I have the utmost respect for, admiration for, and my life has been better in the two
years that I've had this friendship. It will be something lasting for the rest of my life. And I hope
that that will always continue and be a part of that. You know, just—I told you about my
surrogate dad, Henry, and Henry has been instrumental. It's someone that I knew when I was
married. But whenever I ever want to call someone dad he's the only person in my life that I've
ever given him that title. And I said I hope you know how much it means to me to call you dad.
>> Alex Carter: What’s Henry’s last name?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Escobel [assumed spelling], Henry Escobel. Escobel is a pretty
important name to me. So there are only two men in this very small circle of mentors, and two of
them happen to be Escobels. How funny you should bring that up.
>> Alex Carter: Who was the other Escobel, I'm just curious.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: We shall remain nameless.
>> Alex Carter: Don’t want to talk about that one?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know what, again, just a wonderful human being, a wonderful
person. Someone that I will always aspire for. And, who knows, whatever God brings into my
path it doesn't matter how much I ask or much I plead, whatever God's plan is it is what it is.
>> Unidentified Speaker: How did Henry come into your life?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Henry came into my life, I met him when I was heavily involved in
church. And we just kind of gravitated towards each other. He has that very fatherly way about
him. And he would sit down and say, “Anna”, and spill out his life story and things. But he had a
very heartwarming way about him. I met Henry and his wife, and that was when I was still
married to Ray. So when we moved from down in southern California to Fresno we took a
camping trip with Henry and his wife and a bunch of friends from church. And that's where I got
to know him a little bit better. And, gosh, that was over 20 years ago. So Henry has been there
for the times in our lives when our children got married. When he took visits—when him and his
wife, Virginia, would come up to Yosemite we would join him when Brandon and Jamie were
little to go camping. So he's just kind of been that person. And it really broke my heart to have to
call Henry and tell him one day that I was divorcing Ray. And I thought, gosh, here I'm just
waiting for the fatherly lecture. But Henry said, “you know Anna, you do what you need to do,
and I will be here to support you in whatever way.” And so that's kind of been where we've
evolved from, a friendship. And Henry had a small heart attack a couple years ago. And Virginia
called me, and she goes I just wanted to let you know about your dad. And within the month
when I was down watching one of Tatianna's races I went to go see him. And we spent some
time together. And in all these years Henry's never been a real sentimental person. But Henry
gave me a ring that he says, “Anna, I want you to have this.” And so it was something that like
for him it was just a small token. For me it's like priceless. And I'm pretty much a sentimentalist.
You know that. You know there's a lot of things I'm going to be wearing on graduation day. A
little piece of my mom, a little piece of my dad, something from Mikey, you know, something
from everyone. I'm probably going to be rolling down the stage with everything that I have,
everything from everyone. And what I don't have physically is in my heart.
>> Alex Carter: So I know this about you. I know that there's a little statue—figurine that you're
notorious for carrying around with you on test times.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yeah.
>> Alex Carter: Why would you say you do that?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: First of all this little statue that I carry is a little tiny, itty bitty, golden
Buddha. And he's in my backpack. And having never grown up around eastern culture or what
that was all about, all I knew it was as a talisman for good luck. But in my first semester going to
school I took a communications class. Then I started researching what I was going to do. And I
was kind of interested in Feng Shui. So I kind of researched in that and got the whole thing
about, well, what is this Buddha, what does it represent, blah, blah, blah. So I looked at it, and
then it's like, you know, if this is talisman for good fortune then I'm going to get a little one, and
I'm going to keep it in my backpack. And believe me when I'm doing these tests like if it's a stats
exam, or I used it in algebra one day with the professor. And he goes, “you really think that's
going to bring me luck?” And I go “I've got to use all the forces I can”.
>> Alex Carter: What was that professor's name?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: That professor was Professor Hitchcock [assumed spelling], probably
my favorite.
>> Alex Carter: Roger Hitchcock.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Roger Hitchcock, yeah.
>> Alex Carter: Who also actually teaches here?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: He does, he is. And it's funny, I see Professor Hitchcock in the
hallways and he teases me. He goes, “Anna, are you still here?” And I go “I'm still here and I'm
almost finished”. I got it's sad to say that you're still doing the same job.
>> Alex Carter: He says the same thing to me all the time. He’s a great person, good sense of
humor.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Isn't that cool that you and I had the same professor?
>> Alex Carter: Yeah.
>> Unidentified speaker: Can you describe how you two met?
>> Alex Carter: How did we meet?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Oh, there's a story.
>> Alex Carter: So okay, we met when I was in high school. I became friends with Brandon
through choir. And Brandon didn't drive, and I was held back a year when I was young so I did
drive. And so I would pick Brandon up to take him to school. That way he could be cool riding
around with me instead of his folks and so—or having to walk. And so I would come to the
house and I would see Anna. And she'd always be there. And then as I got older I took a job at a
movie theater locally here in town called the Edwards Cinemas. And Anna actually worked
there. And we—we—so through Brandon and I and hanging out with his family I got to know
here a little bit. And then, again, through working at Edwards Cinemas got to know her even
better. And then we kind of fell out for a little while.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: We just lost touch because you grew up and went your way and do
your thing.
>> Alex Carter: Got with Nancy, you know, and I was with Nancy for 10 years. And then when
that didn't work out --
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Do you remember when we saw—first saw each other. Where were
you?
>> Alex Carter: Applebee’s.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: No, no, we were at the dog park.
>> Alex Carter: We were at the dog park.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You were the guy at the dog park in black slacks, a white shirt and a
tie. Who shows up at the dog park in a tie? But I was like—Brandon’s like
>> Alex Carter: I like to be—I like to dress nice.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Oh, come over here because Brandon was there with his dogs. I had
taken Pablo, my very cute little Morkie. So Pablo and I had gone to the dog park and there you
were. And that's how we reconnected. And then—then we went -- the first place we went to was
to have drinks at, what is it –
>> Alex Carter: Applebee’s?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: no, well yeah, we had, but it was, what do you call it, the Irish -Groggs [phonetic].
>> Alex Carter: Oh Groggs, that’s right.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Groggs, so yeah.
>> Alex Carter: So I got the prompt, we only have a few minutes left, and I definitely want to
ask you this one last question.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Okay, yes.
>> Alex Carter: What do you think is going to be the happiest moment of your life as a student?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Probably the happiest moment -- in what, you saved this for the last to
get me teary?
>> Alex Carter: That’s—That’s, you know, got to make you cry a little bit.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Is being—having that cap and gown on. It's having the gap and gown
on and looking at my three children in—in the aisle. And seeing the look on their face because I
did it for them. I did it for my mom, I did it for my dad, I did it for Mikey, but I did it for them.
I’ve always—everything I've done, everything I am is for them.
>> Alex Carter: For your kids.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: And they're my life. They are. And they—if they don't know it, and if
anybody knows me they know it. And Brandon, Jamie and Tatianna are the loves of my life.
Whatever I do, whatever I am, whatever I aspire to be is always for them, always, always.
Thanks a lot, Alex.
>> Alex Carter: Oh, your mascara didn’t run too bad.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: No, because I won't. But you know, it’s—it's meant everything to me
you know. When they were little growing up I changed my whole philosophy of life because I
wanted to be the best darn mother for them and teach them and show them. And, you know,
when they turn around and they give it back to me as far as Brandon is so loving and generous,
and he's such a gentle soul and loving, and when I hear him talk about me to someone else, or
someone else talks he just like that's my mom, you know?
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, because you're probably the most elegant lady I've ever known in my life.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: And thank you for that. Because I just, you know, Jamie is -- you
know, when you hear your kids talk about you with pride that's what you want as a parent.
>> Alex Carter: Oh Definitely.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You want to be able for them to come back and say something great.
But when they say something great and they mean it, you know --
>> Alex Carter: It’s like, in my mind of you I see like your name, and then I see a [inaudible]
always at the end of it.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: That's my symbol, you know, that love, family and honor. Always
love, family and honor.
>> Alex Carter: Well, I think this has been a pretty good interview.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I think so.
>> Alex Carter: I think we're pretty much – pretty much right there
>> Unidentified speaker: Do you mind if I ask you a couple more questions?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Absolutely.
>> Unidentified speaker: I was just curious about when, and you can chime in, too, Alex, just
about going back to school at a later age. What was it like just walking into the classroom for the
first time? What was going through your head? How did other people react to you and that sort
of thing?
>> Alex Carter: Usually think you’re the professor.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Exactly, that is so funny because at the start
>> Alex Carter: That’s a great way to get rid of students when you’re trying to waitlist into a
class.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: –of semester, at the start of the semester when I'd go in -- you know,
first of all I'm probably the most overdressed coed in a classroom because I've got to go to work
after that. I have this little part-time job at this nonprofit so I have to be dressed appropriately. So
I'm in there in a business suit or just dressed nicely. So automatically
>> Alex Carter: Well you are a business major, so it’s okay.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Well, yeah. But the students automatically think, oh, she must be the
professor. And then here comes a question, “oh, are you professor so and so?” And I go “no”. I
am a student. I'm wearing a backpack and things. But also not just from the students but from the
professor. I don't know if I am intimidate them because they are my peers. Most of them are my
age. And then sometimes younger so there–So I often wonder what goes through their head. You
know, here–here this woman is 55 years old, whether or not they looked up my age, but they can
obviously see.
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, even being 36 and being in a classroom with 18 and 19 year old kids, it’s
like, it’s intimidating and it makes you feel old. Makes you feel old. Like so old it’s ridiculous
and I’m not even the same age as you and like yeah like it’s just–
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Well, it's funny because being around that youth it makes me
automatically more youthful, more in tune with people that are younger, people that are
Tatianna's age.
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, it kind of makes you hip.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yeah, it does. It—it like automatically puts me in the cool zone. So
that's that. And then I'm up-to-date on technology which most people my age are not. I was
teaching Brandon this morning how to use Snapchat, and this is my 36 year old son. He's like,
mom, my mom knows more technology than I do.
>> Alex Carter: And if I’m not mistaken didn’t you tell me that there was a young man who
actually hit on you? Who was like 25 or something?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: And we need to archive this.
>> Alex Carter: I’m just saying for a lady of your age to be hit on by such a young person that
must of felt pretty decent.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Thank you. I'm not putting notches in my belt, thank you very much.
>> Unidentified speaker: Do you guys have any specific stories just of like being [Inaudible]
professor or professors reacting to you that come to mind?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know it–it–, there is. And you were there when I asked the
professor. It was in a finance class that I had. And the professor, you know, I was struggling. I
didn't know how -- and I knew I wasn't going to pass this class. And I thought, gosh, let's go over
the test, let me just talk to him because I was like this is not happening. And remember, Alex, I
asked you to go with me.
>> Alex Carter: Yep. I was out there standing in the hallway.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: And we had been studying. And so I go into the professor's office
waiting, and here he comes in. And he's asking me these questions, and I'm like searching for the
answers. And then it starts coming out of me. And he's like you know this stuff. And I said I
know, but I'm not a good test taker. I go in there, you know, and I said, you know, what is it, why
do you [inaudible] teach somebody like me. What do you think about when you think, gosh, here
I am your age and I'm trying to learn this. And he just kind of sat. Do you remember he sat back
in his chair and he goes I love it?
>> Alex Carter: Love it. Yep.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: I love it, love it. Because he was saying, hey, you're encouraging me
by, hey, I've already finished my education, but I'm teaching her. Yeah. And so that was --
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, anyone, at any age who’s decided to not continue college to go back and
strive and try to become, you know, something more.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: And I also had a challenge from a professor that was my peer, was my
age. But the way he was towards younger students and things, so because I am my age and he
was my peer I felt entitled to say, hey, it's not okay for you to talk down to students or talk this
>> Alex Carter: Or be disrespectful.
>> Anna Trigeros- Rocha: Or be disrespectful. And I looked him in the eye and go you need to
take this seriously. Because all I could think in the back of my head is if this were my daughter
in this college class with this professor and it was not a good, positive environment I would be
very much in their face.
>> Alex Carter: Oh Definitely.
>> Unidentified speaker: Do you remember what he was saying?
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Well, it was a time when we had some really –
>> Alex Carter: It was probably just some snarky remark.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Well, no, it was a very particular circumstances where we were being
threatened as a campus from someone who we weren't sure whether or not was going to carry out
a threat. So it involved the whole campus. And we should be, you know, it's like with shooting
sprees on college campuses getting this message like something was happening. And so there
was these posts that came in on Twitter and things, and it's like some people were leaving. And I
remember looking across the hallway, and the professor across the way says, you know, oh go
ahead and go home, telling the kids. And I'm just waiting for the professor to come in. And he
comes in very nonchalantly, oh yeah, like I kind of heard about that. And then we go in and
we're sitting and it's like it's no big deal. And he says, well, don't worry, we're in the bottom of
the -- basement of this school. We're in the lower floor basically. And he says like these doors
like automatically lock. And I go that is not, you know—and I just blurted out.
>> Alex Carter: That doesn’t help, especially if you’re not–if you’re claustrophobic.
>> Anna Trigeros- Rocha: And I'm like that doesn't give me any–yeah, I go that's not giving me
peace of mind.
>> Alex Carter: Not even a little bit.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: That's not going to stop someone from knocking on the door, and
we're going to open the door. And I remember looking at him so seriously and I go you need to
take this seriously. You need to just, you know, this is not a joke. And I think just the way I
looked at him and the way I spoke and the tone of voice, well, that was kind of the beginning of
the end. Because really basically when that whole ordeal was over I lost a lot of respect for him
as a professor. It was the one and only class I've ever dropped because I didn't have, you know.
>> Alex Carter: Yeah, Campus threats are–are nothing you should ever take likely.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: No.
>> Alex Carter: Even if you don't think that they're actually going to be carrying it out. You
know it’s–we live in a time and age that you can't not take it seriously. No matter what is it is or
how big or small it is it should be treated with that kind of respect.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yeah, and it's sad to say that these things happen a little too often, a
little too much.
>> Unidentified speaker: We're just about out of time. But I wanted to actually see if you have
anything else to say to each other.
>> Alex Carter: Just pretty much this has been a lot of fun, Anna. I love talking with you always.
And I really enjoyed hearing about your family and about your dad. I'm glad that I got you to
tear up a little bit when you talked about graduation because it's a big deal. It's a milestone in
your life. And to go back at the age that you are and take all the classes you've taken and do
everything that you've done, all the hardships and all the times that you've taken a test, and had it
not been perfect and you're thinking to yourself like, oh man, you know, I don't know if I'm
going to make it through this and then you do–
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Do you remember sitting in the car after?
>> Alex Carter: Succeeding and you keep succeeding through all the trials and all being in the
trenches with you and us studying together until sunrises sometimes you know, to make sure that
it's true, it's all going to be done very soon. And you're going to have that cap and gown, and
you're going to get that diploma, and that's going to be a legacy that you can show your kids.
Look what your mom did, you know.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Yeah. Well, it's been good.
>> Alex Carter: So thank you, thank you for letting me like have this interview with you.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: Thank you, thank you, thank you. It's been a good thing. Good
friendship. When, you know, I called the kids and they weren't going to be in town you were the
first person I thought of,
>> Alex Carter: Thanks.
>> Anna Trigeros-Rocha: You know. So I guess we're done.