Warren Ho

For 15 years, Warren Ho, liberal studies, performed as a jazz, ballet and tap dancer all over the world – Jerusalem, Morocco, Italy, Spain, to name a few. “I’ve done musical theater, theme parks and cruise ships, and for me, at the time, it was the best career in the world,” he says. But a career in dance is a career for a young man and woman – the body changes. “As you get older, the body can’t take it,” Warren says.

Now, he’s pursuing a second career, studying to become a teacher in special education at Dominguez Hills. “Everyone needs a good foundation, but I’ve noticed people tend to push special education kids aside. I think I’m drawn to these kids. I have the patience, and I enjoy the smaller classes and time for personal attention,” he says.

After graduating from El Camino Community College, he transferred to Dominguez Hills with a 3.73 GPA and last summer, Warren discovered his Presidential Scholarship application at CSUDH had paid off.

Because of the scholarship, he has been able to reduce his full-time work as a waiter to 20 hours per week and concentrate more on his studies. “If you want to make good grades, that requires time. Now, due to the scholarship, I can devote more time to doing that,” he says.

Through his love for dance, he’s also spent time promoting physical activity in the Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids (SPARK) program and hopes that through teaching, he can inspire his students to reach high – whether its pursuing a career in dance, returning to school for a second career, or following their own dreams.