Four Siblings, One Foundation: Chaffey College

Photo caption: From left, Facundo Sirri, Marcelo Sirri, Claudia Sirri, Agustina Sirri, Jimena Sirri and Sebastian Sirri.

Claudia and Marcelo Sirri came to the United States from Argentina in 1996 with their four children to find better opportunities. In the years that followed, their home transformed into a place of learning, with siblings gathered around computers, books and homework.

Today, the Sirri children are in rewarding careers and living comfortably throughout Southern California. The common denominator that helped them in their success? Chaffey College.

“Chaffey gave me opportunities I didn't have elsewhere,” said Facundo Sirri. “I genuinely don't know if I would be a college graduate today without Chaffey.”

Jimena, Facundo, Sebastian and Agustina Sirri all attended Chaffey and three of them graduated from the college.

Jimena and Agustina Sirri both work for the Brazilian restaurant chain Fogo de Chão, with Jimena Sirri serving as senior sales manager at the Rancho Cucamonga location. The classes at Chaffey taught her how to stay organized, follow through on tasks and stay organized.

“I also learned effective communication, how to write clear messages, work with different personality and perspectives - those habits really carried into my role at Fogo,” said Jimena, who transferred and graduated from Cal State Los Angeles.

Her sister, who went straight into the workforce after attending Chaffey, works at the restaurant’s Brea location.

Sebastian Sirri was the first of his siblings to go to college, graduating from Chaffey’s nursing program in 2016.

“I was not knowledgeable about the college process and navigated this through trial and error,” he said. “I cannot imagine what my life would have been like without Chaffey.”

His experiences made it easier for his younger brother and sisters to go through the college process. Sebastian Sirri now works as a charge nurse at Hoag Hospital in Orange County.

“Seeing his experience showed me that starting at Chaffey and transferring was a path that worked, and it made that decision much easier for me,” Facundo Sirri said.

Jimena and Facundo Sirri both attended Chaffey at the same time in the 2010s, so they were able to support each other.

“Having a sibling to rely on, help with schoolwork and cheer you on before exams is amazing,” Jimena Sirri said.

Facundo Sirri said Chaffey helped him overcome his fear of math, thanks to a professor he says was great at explaining concepts and being accessible. The same professor also nominated him as “Math Student of the Year.” He later graduated from UCLA with a degree in civil engineering.

“Going from being afraid of math to being recognized for it really changed the way I saw my own abilities and played a big part in eventually choosing engineering,” he said.

Facundo Sirri now works as a project engineer for Kinemetrics in Pasadena, working with seismic monitoring systems on buildings across the state.

All three Chaffey graduates recommend Chaffey to anyone having doubts about where to start their academic journey.

“Community college can feel more personal, more supportive, like a real community where people actually know your name,” Jimena Sirri said. “That kind of environment will give you a solid foundation before taking that bigger next step at a larger university setting, and in turn prepare you for success.”