1. To whom it may concern,
I am appealing my acceptance declination on the basis that I believe I have
the qualifications to be admitted into San Diego State. I will outline these qualities
and give evidence to support my claim. First I would like to start out by sharing a
little about myself, and why I think I would be a great asset to the San Diego State
community. Many people consider my generation the “Me” generation, the
generation of entitlement. However, this title does not accurately describe me as a
person. My parents raised me to be a part of my community, to pull my own weight,
and to always do my best. When I was younger, I grew up on an organic farm. This
taught me the important connection between how my efforts directly affect myself,
and those around me. From animal husbandry, growing our food, and carrying in
the wood to heat our home, I was a working member of my family at a young age.
As a result of my up bringing, I have grown into a goal oriented individual with
many plans for my future. Right out of high school, the main goal I set for myself was to
come out of college debt free. With only two years left until I complete my bachelor’s
degree, I have already managed to achieve this goal. It was made possible by going to my
local JC instead of attending a state school right out of high school. Throughout my two
years at the Santa Rosa Junior College I worked and went to school full time, while
maintaining a 3.7 GPA. In addition, I volunteered as a firefighter for those two years.
Firefighting allowed me to help my community by responding to medical aids, structure
fires, car accidents, and wild land fires. Finally, I coached my old high school football
team, displaying leadership and hard work. From leading by example I was able to turn
my team into good football players but more importantly, encourage them to be humble
men. In my last semester at the SRJC, I secured an internship at Northwestern Mutual.
During my internship I performed at high levels while simultaneously maintaining my
already heavy workload.
After completing all my prerequisites and earning my associates degree, I moved
to San Diego. My first week in San Diego I had four job interviews, and from those
interviews I received four job offers. I am currently working full time at Flores
Financials, an accounting firm in Santee, as an Accounting Associate. I do everything
from accounts payable, sales and payroll, while communicating with vendors and the
clients. While working full time, I am also attending Mesa College where I am taking
intermediate accounting and two Microsoft Excel classes. Although not required for my
undergraduate transfer, I have taken the initiative to complete these courses. I have
managed to do this all on my own, and am completely independent from my parents and
no longer receive any sort financial aid.
In addition to already having a full time job in the accounting industry, my
grandpa is also in San Diego. He lives at Silverado, where he requires around the clock
care. My aunt who lives in San Diego as well is the only other relative close by. I have
been helping her out on the weekends with whatever needs to be done to relieve her of
some of the pressure. She has been very grateful for the extra help I have provided. It has
been very rewarding to be able to help, while spending quality time with my family.
I will end this letter by expressing my great desire to attend San Diego State
University. I had a great conversation with Dr. Tita Gray, who after a 15-minute phone
call gave me permission to use her name in the appeal process. In addition, I have also

2. spoken with Christina Brown and Sandra Cook, who have both guided me through this
appeal process. I have worked incredibly hard to get to where I am, and hope to finish my
schooling as a San Diego Aztec. From my previous participation in extra curricular
activities, I hope to become involved and take advantage of the opportunities that SDSU
has to offer. My goal moving forward is to continue working full time and earn my
bachelors degree within two years. I have achieved every goal I have set for myself and
hope to continue achieving my goals by attending San Diego State University.
Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing back.
Sincerely,
Dylan Mathias