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Juan Mendivil Jr. said he saw himself as a "gang-banger, pot-head type of guy" in middle school.

Today he will join 20 other scholarship winners — half of them from the Tucson area — honored by the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation at the fourth annual scholarship awards luncheon.

The luncheon will be held at the Marriott University Park, 880 E. Second St.

The scholarships are given to students who have shown a great deal of motivation through community involvement or overcoming obstacles, said Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tomás León.

Mendivil was born and raised on the South Side of Tucson and graduated from Pueblo High School this year.

He will major in Computer Engineering at Arizona State University this fall.

Even at an early age, Mendivil's parents taught him and his younger brother and sister the importance of having an education.

"They were really strict," he said. "We hardly watched TV or anything."

His mother, Maria Mendivil, said he was reading before he was 3 years old.

"I would always tell them that without an education they won't go anywhere," she said.

As a result, the younger Mendivil will be the first person in his immediate family to go to college.

Mendivil was a straight-A student in middle school and maintained good grades throughout high school, he said.

The path to college did not come without obstacles, however.

When Mendivil was in eighth grade, he was suspended from school for two months after being caught under the influence of marijuana.

Despite the suspension, Mendivil still had to focus on his schoolwork.

"I cleaned the house, studied and read," he said. He also received homework packets from his school.

The incident made Mendivil's parents realize that they were not around their kids enough, his mother said.

"When Juan got into trouble, I think that's when we were working too much," she said.

Mendivil's father, Juan Mendivil Sr., also had an alcohol addiction.

Two years ago, Mendivil's parents became born-again Christians, and the family now goes to church together.

Mendivil also had to overcome the obstacles presented by his neighborhood.

"There have always been drug dealers," he said. "The drug dealers move out and new ones move in."

There have also been drug busts with SWAT teams in his neighborhood, and police helicopters are seen often, he said.

Mendivil sees himself as proof that there are positive aspects of the neighborhood.

"It means everything is not bad over here," he said.

He also believes that he benefited from his experiences in the neighborhood.

"It makes you a better person, living in this kind of neighborhood and coming out of it," he said. "You've been through so much."

By the time Mendivil reached high school, he became more involved in athletics. He played for the football team and wrestled.

In addition, he was on the track team and played basketball.

He also participated in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Mendivil has received scholarships from other organizations, including the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona and Arizona State University.

He applied for the scholarships because he felt that was the only way for him to go to college.

"I wasn't really going to get any money from my family because we didn't really have any," he said.

Now that he has the money, he also feels some added pressure.

"Any mistake and the scholarship will be taken away," he said.

Despite the pressure, Mendivil believes that earning the scholarships and being able to go to college is an important milestone in his life.

"I feel like I accomplished something," he said. "I turned my life around, and I'm being rewarded."