Luis Rivera is living proof that anyone can live the American dream, even if you dream it from another country.

A jumper for the University of Arizona track and field team, Rivera has already established instant credibility as the third-ranked collegiate long jumper in the United States, despite competing only three times.

Spending the first 18 years of his life in Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico, Rivera pined to compete at the collegiate level for the Arizona Wildcats, which has one of the top-ranked track programs in the country.

But out of high school, where he was a star sprinter for two years before moving on to jumping at age 16, Rivera could not meet the rigorous demands set by the U.S. college system.

Rivera didn't know a word of English, except for "Where’s the restroom?", and failed the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), a requirement for those attending college as a English as a Second Language (ESL) student. However, he tested just high enough to be placed in junior college.

After he received his test results, Rivera crossed the border as a legal immigrant to attend Central Arizona College on an athletic scholarship with hopes of transferring to the UA as a junior.

"He just didn’t have the test scores out of high school to come to U of A," said the Wildcats’ head track coach Fred Harvey. "We thought that after two years we could recruit him again to come back to Arizona."

After two years and taking all ESL classes his freshman year in college, Rivera admits his English has improved a lot.

"It’s very challenging because you don’t know how to approach people," Rivera said on Monday, during his first English interview. "I had to watch TV in English, I had to listen in English every day. I was trying to communicate, but I couldn’t."

He also had trouble being accepted socially.

"There were some times when I felt I didn’t belong there," Rivera said. "At times I just wanted to go back to Mexico and stay there. I just kept telling myself that other people do it and I could too, but it was definitely hard at the beginning."

But Rivera survived the two-year junior college system and has nearly perfected his English.

"There’s such a learning curve with the language and the other nuances of American culture," Harvey said. "I think a lot of what he’s been able to accomplish here comes from what he was able to do there at Central (Arizona).

"I think the biggest problem people have is learning the culture difference between Mexican culture and American culture," Harvey said. "They’re so very different in the way that life is conducted."

In more ways than one, the transition from Mexico has been extremely smooth. Just three years ago, Rivera was forced to practice long jumps on a lawn in Mexico where there were no decent local track facilities. Now, he practices at a high-class track stadium on a synthetic track with a dirt pit - standard for NCAA regulations, but otherworldly for Mexican culture.

"For me, the NCAA is the best league in the world," Rivera said. "Once I learned about the NCAA and playing for a university, I thought that I needed to be there. I wanted to be there and I would do whatever it takes to be there and Tucson is also the right place for me."

Athletics is not the only thing Rivera excels at.

The industrial engineering student has received honor roll status after only one semester at the university; a very impressive accomplishment despite the major language barrier.

"It’s a very difficult thing being a student-athlete, let alone a student-athlete majoring in engineering," Harvey said. "The time demand is just beyond comprehension to a lot of people. He has a tremendous amount of discipline and he really knows what it is that he wants and the importance of prioritizing."

His efforts also go beyond the university system. Rivera is hoping to qualify for the Olympics this summer in the long jump. For which country? He said he’s "not sure yet".

Rivera’s personal record for the long jump is 25.9 feet, ranking him as third in the country. His record of 15.35 meters in the triple jump qualifies him as fourth in the country. In two weeks, he hopes to improve that record and win the individual Pacific 10 Conference Championships in Seattle, Wash.

"I wish we had 50 people like him because he doesn’t give us any problems," said Sheldon Blockburger, Rivera's jumping coach. "He’s going to be a really big threat."

Rivera has also set an example for his brother.

Edgar Rivera-Morales wants to follow in his older brother's footsteps, attending the UA and joining the track team. The difference is that Edgar has already started to learn English and may receive a scholarship after the 2009 season, when he will be eligible for college.

"I’ll try to put all my effort into this,” Rivera said. “Hopefully everything works out."