A Commencement Proposal

Juan Carlos Soliz Meza, ’21 Behavioral Science, ’25 MSW, proposed to his longtime partner Alma Sanchez (left) onstage at Chicano Commencement this May. Photo: Robert C. Bain.

Juan Carlos Soliz Meza, ’21 Behavioral Science, ’25 MSW, was a nine year old boy when he survived an accident that injured his legs and back, significantly impacting his mobility. His mother Maria Meza carried him to medical appointments, where they were routinely turned away by social workers who claimed not to have the time or space to accommodate him. Frustrated by the lack of support, Soliz Meza promised himself that one day he’d become a social worker to offer others the resources necessary not just to survive, but to thrive.

In 1990, Soliz Meza’s mother moved them to San Francisco in order that he could receive care at the Shriners Hospital for Children (now located in Sacramento). The move changed his life; in addition to getting medical treatment, he was advised by hospital staff on how to pursue higher education in California. He enrolled at San José State in the 1990s, later dropping out to work. In the early 2000s, he was hired by the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program at the Santa Clara County Office of Social Services. On his very first day, he met a fellow county worker named Alma Sanchez.

“As soon as I saw her, I knew that one day she would be my wife,” Soliz Meza says. But first, they both had other goals to accomplish.

Together, Soliz Meza and Sanchez raised their daughter Brianna Calvillo, ’25 BFA Animation/Illustration, who completed her bachelor’s degree this spring, the same week her father completed his long-awaited master’s degree in social work. His social work degree meant the achievement of a lifelong goal, an achievement that would have been impossible if not for the support of his partner, daughter and mother.

On May 20, Soliz Meza and his daughter participated in the Chicano Commencement Celebration, a special cultural event marking the commencement season. In anticipation of this important moment, Soliz Meza planned ahead — he’d hidden a box containing an engagement ring in his pocket. Before going onstage, he mentioned to one of the commencement volunteers that he planned to propose, and when the time came, members of the platform party handed him a microphone. Sanchez, Calvillo and his mother stood alongside. 

“Quiero tomar el momento para algo especial (I want to take a moment for something special),” he began. He remembers, “I said, ‘I want to thank my mom for being here, my daughter, who is also graduating today, and my partner, who has been by my side in good times and bad.’ And then I pulled out the box.”

Visibly surprised, Sanchez crossed the stage to accept the ring, then kissed him while the crowd of graduates and their families cheered. The livestream video projected an image of the happy couple embracing, with their daughter and Soliz Meza’s mother smiling on stage left. 

Soliz Meza had shared his plan with his daughter, who was a little apprehensive about how her mother, an introverted person, would react to such a public proposal. Sanchez, however, was completely in the dark about what was about to happen.

“When I saw him go toward the mic, I thought he was going to say something about his mom,” Sanchez recalled. “I was so surprised.”

“Estoy muy bien, muy feliz de ver a mi hijo, que ha hecho tanta lucha y ha cumplido su meta (I’m very happy to see my son accomplishing his goal after over overcoming so many obstacles),” his mother Meza said after the ceremony. 

New beginnings

Soliz Meza is the first to say that he didn’t achieve this milestone alone. He credits his 90-year-old mother Meza, who fought hard for him to have a successful and accessible life, as well as Sanchez, who has nursed him through various illnesses and medical procedures, and his daughter Brianna, who, in addition to being a talented animator, will be starting San José State’s master in design program this fall. He’s also grateful to the SJSU faculty, including Anthropology Lecturer Mayra Cerda, Assistant Professor of Social Work Moctezuma Garcia and Social Work Lecturer Renae Bhader, who have helped make his dream a reality. 

Armed with an MSW, Soliz Meza plans to take his social services work out into the community.

“I want to help more directly because I know there’s a need,” he says. “Right now I’m helping in many different ways, but [I’m confined to] a computer. When you go out and meet people in person, you’re able to provide more resources. And that’s what I want to do.”

Soliz Meza adds that he’s interested in working for the Department of Family and Children Services. 

“I want to help keep families together,” he says. “I don’t want other people to be without their parents. I know how important that is because I have my mom. She’s been my support, my everything. She never gave up on me. She pushed me to go forward, told me, ‘You can be someone.’ I want to pay back what she gave me.”

He adds that his mother taught him that “when you’re passionate about something, [you need to] keep persisting.” 

His persistence and achievement of his goal made him a role model for his daughter, who is already an accomplished artist. As for Sanchez, an hour after Chicano Commencement, she was still grinning, a sparkly ring on her left hand. The celebration will go on.