now wendy tokuda tells us he's a man with a knew title. >>> 2002, hector rodriguez was a 17-year-oldonor student at bellaman college prep in san jose. 13 years later watch the fuzzy home video closely as hector rodriguez is sworn in as a lawyer. >> congratulations. >> i've been waking up thinking that i'm not sure if it's true. >> you can't believe you're a lawyer? >> i'm waiting for somebody to tell me that, you know, you're not licensed yet. >> but he is. this is hector when he graduated from santa clara university school of law last year. >> it's always been very clearas to what my motivation has been. education has always been my medium, so to speak, that connects me with my parents. >> hector was allowed into the united states after hurricane mitch with a wave of immigrants from nicaragua. but he and his sisters were orphans. their father was killed by a drunk driver when hector was in 8th grade. his mother overcome with grief took her own life. >> in two months, you know, that life, that family was just absolutely destroyed. >> reporter: hector and his sisters moved in with the

and now, wendy tokuda tel >>> we first met our student rising above when he was a student.or 13 years he stayed in touch. now he is doing something no one could have expected. >> reporter: 2002, hector rodrigues was a 17 years old honor student at college prep in san jose, 13 years later watch the fuzzy home video as he is sworn in as a lawyer. >> i've been waking up thinking that i'm not sure if it's true. i'm -- i'm -- >> reporter: you can't believe you're a lawyer? >> i'm waiting for somebody to tell me that you're not licensed yet. >> reporter: but he is. he graduated from the school of law last year. >> education has always been my medium so to speak that connects me with my parents. >> reporter: he was allowed into the united states after the hurricane. they're father was killed by a drunk driver in eighth grade. his mother overcome by grief took her own life. >> that life, that family, was absolutely destroyed. >> reporter: they moved in with their aunt in san jose. he spoke no english when he arrived. he learned so quickly and his grades were so exceptional he got a

here's kpix 5's wendy tokuda. >> reporter: sometimes heroism is a quiet thing, a family thing.ssica doesn't think she did anything special. and at mount eden high in hayward where she is an honor student, almost no one knows what she's done. so now we tell. jessica is unusually close to her "little sisters" and there's a reason. she was 14 when they are mother was diagnosed with leukemia. >> every day i would any about she might die today. what will i do? how will my sisters react? >> reporter: jessica would have to be strong. six girls one in kindergarten at the time the smallest only 2. living in a rough part of east oakland. their mom is at home now, still frail. but for two years she was in and out of stanford medical center, 100 days in isolation waiting for a bone marrow transplant so her children could not even see her much of the time. jessica ran the house and took care of the little ones. >> i cooked for them. i changed their diapers. i did their laundry. >> reporter: she would always say, don't worry. we will be okay. even with these problems, we are growing. with he

now wendy tokuda tells us he is a man with a new title. >> reporter: 2002, hector rodriguez was a 17- honor student at bellarmine college prep in san jose. 13 years later, watch the fuzzy home video closely as hector rodriguez is sworn in as a lawyer. >> congratulations. >> i have been waking up thinking that i'm not sure if it's true. >> reporter: you can't believe you're a lawyer? >> i'm waiting for somebody to tell me you're not licensed yet. >> reporter: but he is. this is hector when he graduated from santa clara university school of law last year. >> it's always been very clear as to what my motivation is and education has always been my medium so to speak that connects me with my parents. >> reporter: hector was allowed into the united states after hurricane mitch with a wave of immigrants from nicaragua. but he and his sisters were orphans. their father was killed by a drunk driver when hector was in 8th grade. his mother overcome with grief took her own life. >> i mean, in two months, you know, that life, that family, it was just absolutely destroyed. >> reporter: hector and