Valedictorian victorious over odds

West Los Angeles College valedictorian Stephen Los Baños. Submitted Photo

West Los Angeles College’s 43rd commencement ceremony was marked by the speech of its valedictorian Stephen Los Baños, who brought many in the audience to tears as he recounted his emotional tale of experiencing a severe stroke at age 21 and being told he had less than two years to live.

With willpower and medical assistance, Los Baños relearned how to speak, walk, move his arm and feed himself. There is little outward sign that he was ever disabled. And, after celebrating his 26th birthday, he will pack for his move into student housing at the University of Southern California this fall to the Annenberg School for Communications with a full scholarship.

“My time at West has validated that each and every one of us is exceedingly capable of overcoming obstacles,” Los Baños told his fellow graduates. “I am living proof that even in the face of such extreme adversity, there is always hope. My experience at West has presented me with so many reasons to continually believe that life is indeed what we make of it and that there are so many opportunities to take advantage of.”