NOE ARRIVED IN the United States after a treacherous two-month journey to flee El Salvador. He hiked through the jungle, rode on top of trains, slept on the streets of Mexico City, and trekked through the desert. Eventually he made it to San Francisco.

When Noe enrolled in high school, he discovered a passion—and a valuable talent—for chemistry and calculus. I met Noe at College Track, an organization that supports underserved youth through high school and college, where I’m a coun selor and mentor.

Image: Laurene Powell Jobs (center right) is cofounder of College Track. Mayra, Darwin, and Noe (left to right) are just three of the students she has mentored there.JOE PUGLIESE