Joseph Kunkle (Photo – J. Emilio Flores/Cal State LA)
Once told he’d never earn a high school diploma, Monterey Park resident Joseph Kunkle is proving his doubters wrong in a big way. This spring, the 30-year-old will walk across the stage at the Shrine Auditorium to receive his Bachelor of Arts in Child Development from Cal State LA. In the fall, he’ll return to begin his master’s degree in the same field.
By Rena Kurlaner
Kunkle’s journey has been anything but ordinary. Diagnosed in kindergarten with a mild intellectual disability, he struggled with focus and social interaction. A middle school teacher once told him and his parents that he wouldn’t pass the California High School Exit Exam — and went so far as to say the share of success he’d achieve in life would be just “a sliver of the pie.”
That remark became a powerful motivator.
“My heart was shattered,” Kunkle recalled. “I told my parents, ‘I want to work with children with special needs. No teacher should ever say that to a child.’”
The remark also helped shape his career path. Determined to rewrite his story, Kunkle pushed through academic challenges, including multiple failed attempts at the high school exit exam. On his sixth try, he passed the math section by 12 points. He passed English on his final allowable attempt, by just one point.
Now graduating with a 3.42 GPA, Kunkle credits his success to persistence, faith, and the unwavering support of his family. His late father, Warren, made him promise before passing in 2020 that he would finish both undergraduate and graduate school.
“My father said, Joseph will work to his grit,” Kunkle said. “He will earn it. We’re not going to give him limitations.”
His mother, Elga, tracks her sons’ achievements on two sheets of paper taped to her kitchen wall. Joseph joins his younger brother Edward, who earned a master’s in communication studies, and William, who is currently studying law at UC Law San Francisco.
Kunkle also attributes his growth to the support of mentors, professors, and his Catholic faith. He drew inspiration from saints who faced learning difficulties, like St. Joseph of Cupertino and St. Thomas Aquinas.
Jessica Dennis, chair of Cal State LA’s Department of Child and Family Studies, praised Kunkle’s resilience: “He struggled with mainstream exams yet finished his high school education while earning awards for his perseverance. He’s proven he can far exceed what others think he is capable of accomplishing.”
Outside the classroom, Kunkle immersed himself in his community. He became an Eagle Scout, competed in Special Olympics, worked as a special education assistant, and taught catechism at his local parish.
Looking ahead, Kunkle hopes to become a teacher and eventually launch a nonprofit that supports children with special needs and their families.
“I want to make sure they’re getting the proper support,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a medical disability, a learning disability, if they’re visually impaired, or hard of hearing. I want to make sure they’re getting as much adequate love.”
Reflecting on the teacher who once doubted him, Kunkle now says with a smile, “I’m not eating a sliver; I’m having a half or a whole pie.”
Congratulations!