But Sarceno was able to help kids learn to read, work multiple jobs and still keep his grades up.
He said he never asked for help, but instead helped others through Reading Quest, a nonprofit in Santa Fe.
Even his boss didn't know Sarceno's struggles until one day he didn't show up for his shift.
He told Rayna Dineen, the founder of the program, his car had broken down and he didn't have a phone. Then, he told her the rest of his situation.
Sarceno also used his college essay to share his story, asking an English teacher to read over what he had written.
"That was my own way of telling them I need help," Sarceno told KOAT.
And they came through.
He earned a full scholarship to Bates College in Maine.
The residents in Santa Fe also helped Sarceno get some necessities like a car and a new phone so he can drive to his school.
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Sarceno has a lot of hard work ahead of him and seems to want to learn everything.
"I want to study philosophy. I want to study art and economics, reading and writing," he told KOAT.
Once he graduates from his undergrad program, he wants to go to grad school at Massachusetts Institute of Technology to become an engineer.
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