TRENTON -- Growing up in South Trenton wasn't easy for Ariel Matos.
He was the youngest of six. His family didn't have a lot. His parents spoke very little English.
But Matos believes his experiences and struggles he's overcome have all been so he can help inner city youth overcome similar hurdles.
The 33-year-old is currently an Assistant Director of Multicultural Admissions at his alma mater The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), but his path to earning a college degree was far from typical.
"There were a number of times where I stopped coming to TCNJ and took a semester off or took two semesters off, where I would think that maybe I don't need a college degree," Matos said, "and I feel like that is an issue that a number of students from inner city communities experience."
Matos' parents immigrated from Dominican Republic and not speaking English made it tough to land high-paying jobs. His father became a pastor at a Pentecostal church and his mother worked as a nanny.
"Because my parents didn't have typical jobs they always encouraged us to do as well as we could in school because they felt like education was the passport to a better career and a better way of life," he said.
The admissions process was difficult for Matos, although he had the support of his parents and his older siblings, he hand to handle filling out financial aid and admission applications mostly on his own.
He enrolled in the college as an English major after graduating from Trenton Central High School in 2002, as part of the Education Opportunity Fund (EOF) program, which provides financial and educational support to students who come from educationally and economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
While many undergraduates follow a four-year path, Matos often worked multiple jobs and often had to temporarily stop attending class to pay his way and help support his parents.
It ultimately took him eight years to earn his bachelor's degree.
He credits his mentors in the EOF program for keeping him grounded and checking up on him even when he wasn't enrolled. Those eight years it took to earn his degree, and the years since, have taught Matos a lot about life, he says.
"I've certainly learned a lot, I've gone through a lot things that students from the inner city often go through," Matos said.
"I'm just passionate to helping more students getting into higher education and ultimately to graduate, especially students from Trenton, I'm all about my Trenton kids," he said.
Matos' story has come full circle.
After working for various non-profits in Trenton and Mercer County, he went to earn a master's degree in organizational leadership with a concentration in higher education, at Rider University.
Now, he's back at TCNJ working to recruit potential students that come from inner cities around the state.
"When I meet new students now wherever I go, whether it's in Trenton, Ewing, Newark, or Jersey City, when I talk to students I feel like they are much more receptive towards me because there is a commonality there," Matos said.
One of his trademark ways to break the ice when meet potential students is to introduce himself in English and then say a quick catchphrase in Spanish.
"Immediately upon saying that you can see the smiles on their faces, and the students will usually say 'de lo mio,' that's someone from where I'm coming from," he said.
Despite his vibrant personality and his career success, Matos doesn't label himself as a role model for students, instead he hopes they view him as an example.
"I don't say I want you to be like me. If anything I say if I made it then I know that you can make it," he says.
"My whole bit is that I can provide a positive example for them, to know that someone from the inner city who struggled and went through different things and that if he made it then you can make it. And then I always view it as my responsibility to help make it a bit easier for them."
When speaking with current TCNJ students, Matos always makes it a point reveal the ways in they are similar. He'll share the challenges that came with his girlfriend dropping out of college, or the friends back home who questioned why he was changing the way he was thinking.
Matos emphasizes that sometimes the people from your social circle in high school don't have your best interests at heart.
But his core philosophy is to always give back to the places and people that shape you.
"Never forget where you came from, there is always a story there of, you know, overcoming challenges. There is a great story there that will ultimately help benefit somebody else if you are willing to share it."
Olivia Rizzo may be reached at orizzo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LivRizz. Find NJ.com on Facebook