Eighteen-year-old Christina Romero – pregnant, emotionally and financially distraught and struggling to bear the death of her 17-month old infant’s father – knew she had to keep her head up for the sake of her and her son’s future.

Romero said there was absolutely no time to sulk in her devastation during this sad time.

“I just kept going. There was no opportunity to cope when you have a child and you’re a single parent, so I just kept going. I worked a lot harder and I guess I got quite a drive from it?maybe that’s the way I coped,” she said.

Now at 25 years old and a senior English major at Sacramento State, and Associated Students Inc.’s incoming fifth woman president since 1985, Romero reflected on her bumpy journey to success as both a student and a mother of 7-year-old Sergio Romero.

Born and raised in a poor household in Sacramento, Romero was the eldest daughter of Lou and Leticia Rico. Her sister, Rebecca Rico, was younger than her by seven years.

As a young girl, Romero was home-schooled from fifth grade in elementary school to freshman year in high school. She said this was due to her mother’s longing to spend more time with her daughters.

She began working at age 12 as a babysitter and as she got older, she often balanced several jobs at one time in order to make a decent living. Some of the companies she worked for were: Wells Fargo, Round Table, Macy’s, Warner Bros. and Safe Credit Union, where she worked as a loan officer and banker for almost five years until she devoted her time to ASI.

Influenced by her father’s value of being thankful to work, Romero worked at a young age.

Realizing that she could not go very far in life without pursuing an education, she spoke to a consultant about how she could make college affordable. She said “by the grace of god” she was able to take classes at Sac State during the 2003-04 academic year.

Romero said she pursued her Christian beliefs through her prayers for the opportunity to attend school.

“Every morning I would drive into Sac State and I’d get teary-eyed because I was so thankful to be a student and be able to come to a university. Nothing’s been taken for granted in my education, because I almost didn’t get it,” Romero said.

Her son was her biggest inspiration for attending college. She wanted to pave the way for him to an advantageous future.

Balancing school and parenting, Romero received help caring for Sergio from his father’s mother, as well as from her parents, all of whom remain as important components in her life today.

“She has the fortitude and drive to seek a higher education and she’s doing that so that she can provide a good life for her son,” Rico said.

Her father also said she has gone through a lot in her young life, but was able to overcome the obstacles she faced.

“With a positive attitude she was able to move forward to improve her life, despite the fact that she’s had some setbacks as a single mom and some of the things she’s gone through, like losing her husband,” said Rico.

Though Romero said it has been a struggle raising a child at such a young age, she said overall it has been a wonderful experience for her, an experience she would not trade for anything in the world.

“He’s been such a blessing to me… I couldn’t imagine life without him, but I wish I could’ve had him later so that I could give him more opportunity?” Romero said.

Romero’s parents are extremely proud of her accomplishments thus far. Her father said she was able to achieve a great deal on her own without much help from anyone.

“She’s just been an inspiration to us and the family as well,” Rico said.

Senior Spanish major Anna Gutierrez, Romero’s friend of two years, said Romero separates herself from other single parents.

“I look up to her, because many single mothers never finish school and she sought beyond that for what’s best for her and her son. I don’t know how she does it, but she does it,” Gutierrez said.

She also said that Romero will do an excellent job as ASI’s president next year.

“She’s very good at managing her time wisely and she knows her priorities. She has a lot of people behind her, not only family but friends,” Gutierrez said.

ASI 2007-08 Executive Vice President Miguel Cervantes said this coming school year “will be a good one” having Romero as president. He said she has influenced him in many ways.

“I really look up to her and admire her at how well she manages her time to focus on her academics and work at the same time,” he said.

He also said he is impressed by how she conducts herself in such a professional manner and how no matter what, she was able to get things done that were on the agenda.

“Christina had a vision of always wanting to be president. She enjoys being on campus and everything it has to offer,” Cervantes said.

Aside from going to school, working and parenting, Romero said she loves to work out at World’s Gym or California Fitness Center; swimming; watching movies; enjoying ice cream at Leatherby’s; bargain shopping at the mall; and going to little shops in Old Sacramento.

After her time at Sac State, Romero plans to attend law school at the University of California, Davis and study abroad in Spain or England. She would also like to open a law firm and an art gallery of her own, aside from being a lobbyist.

Romero will begin her administration as president June 7.