Alan Hidalgo-Lobo
From 49erNext to Bring on What's NextBy Sonja Barisic
Alan Hidalgo-Lobo was born and raised in California by parents who immigrated to the United States from Honduras. The family moved to Charlotte when he was in middle school, in search of the proverbial better life.
In 2009, his family’s life was changed forever when his father, Milton Hidalgo, was shot to death, a crime for which no one was ever prosecuted. Grappling with grief and focused on trying to get justice for his father, the son who had always loved school and earned good grades began skipping classes and failing.
In 2015, Hidalgo-Lobo sat in the audience and watched as his classmates walked across the stage to receive their diplomas. He didn’t have enough credits to graduate himself.
The story of what happened to his family is painful, but Hidalgo-Lobo doesn’t mind sharing it publicly. “It’s part of my journey and why I decided to start college at 23 years old,” he said. “It is part of what essentially has made me become who I am today as a human being.”
A new path through 49erNext
Without a high school diploma, Hidalgo-Lobo worked service jobs to help support his mother as she cared for him and his three siblings. While contributing financially, he wasn’t happy and felt unfulfilled. He thought about his childhood dream of becoming a lawyer. And he remembered the advice from his late father: “Do something in life that you’re passionate about.”
He signed up for classes to earn his GED in 2019. Then COVID-19 shut down GED testing centers in early 2020. Eventually finishing his GED testing at Central Piedmont Community College, Hidalgo-Lago enrolled there as a full-time college student in spring 2021.
Earning mostly As, he graduated with an associate degree six months ahead of the standard two-year program duration.
There he learned about 49erNext, a guaranteed admission program for select community college students who plan to transfer to Charlotte to pursue a bachelor’s degree. He became excited about the ability to earn guaranteed admission, since he had always wanted to attend UNC Charlotte but lack of standardized test scores had posed an obstacle.
The 49erNext program afforded him privileges like access to Atkins Library, 24-hour study spaces and dining halls, and the opportunity to attend football games, fostering a sense of belonging before officially starting his bachelor’s degree. Having a UNC Charlotte email address gave him an early connection to the University community.
These advantages, he says, were instrumental in his ability to graduate early from community college and his smooth transition to campus life.
“The 49erNext program helped me transition to becoming a 49er, and helped me navigate a four-year university.”
-Alan Hidalgo-Lobo
He embarked on a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a legal studies minor in January 2023. By taking summer classes, he anticipates being able to graduate six months early, in May 2024.
Hidalgo-Lobo’s dedication to academic excellence and active involvement in extracurricular activities have earned him scholarships, reducing the financial burden of tuition. He’s a member of the executive board of the UNC Charlotte Pre-Law Society, showcasing his commitment to empowering his peers. As the event coordinator for the society, he reaches out to attorneys and other potential guest speakers and books law school representatives to come to campus.
What’s next for Hidalgo-Lobo? He hopes to be in the inaugural class at High Point University’s School of Law and become a state attorney so he can help victims of crime get justice through the judicial system. He was inspired in part by his favorite professor, Kathleen Nicolaides, a former federal prosecutor who is director of the legal studies minor and the pre-law advisor. He also envisions advocating for immigrant families like his own and supporting nonprofit organizations.
Throughout his higher education journey, Hidalgo-Lobo has been an advocate for the 49er Next program. “The 49erNext program helped me transition to becoming a 49er,” he said. “It helped me navigate through a four-year university and helped me as a first-time, first-generation college student.”
Sonja Barisic is a freelance writer based in Norfolk, Virginia.
Niners Forging a Path to Success:
Dhairya Desia
Sarah Herrera
Walter Kirkland
ALAN HIDALGO-LOBO
From 49erNext to Bring on What’s Next
By Sonja Barisic
Photos By Kat Williams
Alan Hidalgo-Lobo was born and raised in California by parents who immigrated to the United States from Honduras. The family moved to Charlotte when he was in middle school, in search of the proverbial better life.
In 2009, his family’s life was changed forever when his father, Milton Hidalgo, was shot to death, a crime for which no one was ever prosecuted. Grappling with grief and focused on trying to get justice for his father, the son who had always loved school and earned good grades began skipping classes and failing.
In 2015, Hidalgo-Lobo sat in the audience and watched as his classmates walked across the stage to receive their diplomas. He didn’t have enough credits to graduate himself.
The story of what happened to his family is painful, but Hidalgo-Lobo doesn’t mind sharing it publicly. “It’s part of my journey and why I decided to start college at 23 years old,” he said. “It is part of what essentially has made me become who I am today as a human being.”
A new path through 49erNext
Without a high school diploma, Hidalgo-Lobo worked service jobs to help support his mother as she cared for him and his three siblings. While contributing financially, he wasn’t happy and felt unfulfilled. He thought about his childhood dream of becoming a lawyer. And he remembered the advice from his late father: “Do something in life that you’re passionate about.”
He signed up for classes to earn his GED in 2019. Then COVID-19 shut down GED testing centers in early 2020. Eventually finishing his GED testing at Central Piedmont Community College, Hidalgo-Lago enrolled there as a full-time college student in spring 2021.
Earning mostly As, he graduated with an associate degree six months ahead of the standard two-year program duration.
There he learned about 49erNext, a guaranteed admission program for select community college students who plan to transfer to Charlotte to pursue a bachelor’s degree. He became excited about the ability to earn guaranteed admission, since he had always wanted to attend UNC Charlotte but lack of standardized test scores had posed an obstacle.
The 49erNext program afforded him privileges like access to Atkins Library, 24-hour study spaces and dining halls, and the opportunity to attend football games, fostering a sense of belonging before officially starting his bachelor’s degree. Having a UNC Charlotte email address gave him an early connection to the University community.
These advantages, he says, were instrumental in his ability to graduate early from community college and his smooth transition to campus life.
“The 49erNext program helped me transition to becoming a 49er, and helped me navigate a four-year university.”
-Alan Hidalgo-Lobo
He embarked on a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a legal studies minor in January 2023. By taking summer classes, he anticipates being able to graduate six months early, in May 2024.
Hidalgo-Lobo’s dedication to academic excellence and active involvement in extracurricular activities have earned him scholarships, reducing the financial burden of tuition. He’s a member of the executive board of the UNC Charlotte Pre-Law Society, showcasing his commitment to empowering his peers. As the event coordinator for the society, he reaches out to attorneys and other potential guest speakers and books law school representatives to come to campus.
What’s next for Hidalgo-Lobo? He hopes to be in the inaugural class at High Point University’s School of Law and become a state attorney so he can help victims of crime get justice through the judicial system. He was inspired in part by his favorite professor, Kathleen Nicolaides, a former federal prosecutor who is director of the legal studies minor and the pre-law advisor. He also envisions advocating for immigrant families like his own and supporting nonprofit organizations.
Throughout his higher education journey, Hidalgo-Lobo has been an advocate for the 49er Next program. “The 49erNext program helped me transition to becoming a 49er,” he said. “It helped me navigate through a four-year university and helped me as a first-time, first-generation college student.”
Sonja Barisic is a freelance writer based in Norfolk, Virginia.