Former Fresno State student Robert “Beto” Mejia (center)
has led the undefeated Mendota High School Aztecs to
their first Valley Section Championship appearance.
Photo courtesy of Jesus Ayala

Fresno State graduate Robert “Beto” Mejia has taken his life experiences and applied them to make a huge difference in the lives of young people and the entire Mendota community. However, he says he’s the one being changed.

Mejia graduated from Fresno State in 2005. Since his graduation he has been coaching football at a local high school in Mendota, where according to the city’s website, the unemployment rate is more than 40 percent, the median household income is less than $25,000 and 42 percent of the population is below the poverty level.

Mendota is a small farming community of about 11,000 residents and happens to be where Mejia grew up. Mejia is now the first-year varsity football coach for the undefeated Mendota High School Aztecs.

Mendota High School has been open since 1993 and has never had an undefeated varsity football team. In the past, Mendota High School was not very famous for its football program.

Gloria Bolin, Mendota High School’s principal, said last year the team was successful, recording some wins and some losses but did manage to go to playoffs. However, she sees a difference in the team this year.

“This year it’s just completely different. When you are beating teams that you normally have lost to 13 times in a row,” Bolin said. “Or you’re beating teams 70-0 or 63-25.”

Bolin said Mejia has great athletes to work with and there was a great sense of pride and integrity instilled in the players that carried over to this season from last year, but there is something different this year that the coach brings to the team.

Bolin said there is a confidence in the players that she didn’t see last year.

“Not that they didn’t believe in themselves, but there’s just a whole different feeling. I think that Beto instills in them a great sense of responsibility,” Bolin said.

She said Mejia has a very positive attitude with the players and helps them believe that nothing is impossible. Bolin said Mejia “uses his son, who was born prematurely, as a great example of a success story and beating the odds.”

Mejia began assistant coaching for Mendota’s junior varsity team in 2007. In 2008 he took over head coach duties. After three years as JV’s head coach, Mejia applied and was promoted to varsity head coach.

With Mejia as the Aztecs’ head coach, the team is now undefeated, won the playoff game and is now looking forward to playing for the Valley Section Championship for the first time.

The football team has a lot of respect for Mejia as its coach.

Edgar Segura, the team’s “super sophomore,” said he looks at Mejia as a second father.­ He also said Mejia has taught them humility.

“He tells us just to stay humble and play hard,” Segura said.

Mejia understands the struggles his players face. As a Mendota High School graduate himself, he can relate to the players on his team.

“A lot of these kids’ parents probably work in the fields. My parents worked in the fields. I worked in the fields,” Mejia said.

He said they’re not exactly working in the best conditions. “These kids for their summer break, they’re probably working in the fields and then coming to practice,” Mejia said.

He believes the players’ hard work is a testament to how they were raised as children. “Half of the coaching is done already just with their upbringings and their families,” Mejia said.

Mejia uses the struggles he faced as a young man and a college student to encourage his team not to give up. One major struggle in his life was when his son, Isaiah, was born premature during Mejia’s third year at Fresno State while he was balancing 18 units.

He said there were times he thought about quitting school and working to look out for his son. “I thought to myself, well I know if he could talk he would tell me ‘no dad you got to continue working for your education,’” Mejia said.

He decided to continue on and finish school and he kept a good attitude.­ “I kept positive, kept my faith in God,” he said.

Mejia is studying online for his master’s in education, all while substituting at Mendota High School. He hopes to become a teacher, although he is unsure whether he will teach science or special education.

His reasoning behind possibly choosing special education as a career is Isaiah, who was born with a learning disability. “I might as well try to learn more for myself as a person, more as dad to help him out,” Mejia said.

Tim Hamel, a Fresno State faculty member in the kinesiology department, said Mejia never gave up on himself. “To me he shows a lot of persistence and confidence in himself,” Hamel said. He also added Mejia is very humble.

Hamel remembers what Mejia went through when his son was at Valley Children’s Hospital. “I had him in class after that happened,” Hamel said. He simply said Mejia dealt with the daunting situation. “He’s the ultimate success story that you like to see in your former students.”