# data[].attributes.location_name
California State University, Los Angeles, State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
California State University, Los Angeles, State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
California State University, Los Angeles, State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA

# data[].attributes.body
https://youtube.com/shorts/M795gQ4YAEE?si=lR1wCFUT5BbHxxv8

My name is Gerardo Lopez I am graduating from Rancho San Juan HS, ℅ 2026. I come from a family that has put family importance before their education and I was granted the opportunity to put my education first because of my family. My academic journey has been rocky to say the least, ELPAC tests, ELD up until 9th grade, a single parent, and low income. At first glance I was bound to become a statistic, yet I was fortunate to become a student of these two wonderful, and caring teachers known as Mr. Williams, and Ms. Henry. They taught not through painfully long lectures, but through laughs, smiles, and compassion, and thanks to them I will be attending CSULA this fall. And you are looking at a future defense/ family attorney.

# data[].attributes.location_name
University of California, Davis, Shields Avenue, Davis, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
Kathryn Talavera: University of California, Davis, Davis, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
Kathryn Talavera: University of California, Davis, Davis, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Hi! My name is Kathryn Talavera, and I am graduating from Rancho San Juan High School as a member of the Puente Program’s Class of 2026 cohort. Some information about me: I love video games (especially the Fallout franchise and Animal Crossing: New Horizons), I speak three languages (English, Spanish, and Japanese), I love to go shopping and going to the beach, I love makeup and skincare, and I love listening to music! I am also a huge cat lover.

I was not a very involved student–CPTED was the only club I really committed to–so I never had the highest prospects for myself. I struggled with my mental health the entire time I was in high school, and especially during my senior year. Through the support of my mom, my dad, and my best friend Sarai Bucio-Valdovinos (shoutout to her!), I would not have even graduated high school. I received much help in school, especially from my teachers Ms. Togliatti, Mr. Jolliff, Mr. Williams, and Ms. Kamimura, but no one deserves the spotlight more than my counselor, Ms. Hale. Ms. Hale was a constant source of support and she had this confidence in me that I could not see reflected from anyone else. She advocated for me in every avenue when I struggled and was always open to conversations with my parents on how to support me. I am unable to thank her to the extent I want to.

I am thankful to be accepted to such great schools such as University of California, Irvine, University of California, Santa Cruz, California State University Long Beach, California Polytechnic Institute, San Luis Obispo, and other great universities. My ultimate decision is to attend University of California, Davis, majoring in Statistics with a minor in Journalism. I am inspired by my mother, who earned her bachelor's degree at 46 and her masters at 48, to strive for a Masters Degree or Doctorate. I cannot wait to see where I take myself in the future. Go Aggies!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YYZWrHiYEzRc0Weoiv0_fOr5Uhz9XNXw/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.body
Hello my name is Ricardo Garcia, I am graduating from Rancho San Juan High School class of 2026. I come from a family of hard workers who did not have the opportunity to go to college and sacrificed more than I can list here from my grandparents to my own. My academic journey has been a plethora of hardship as well as fun and new learning experiences being able to speak in front of large crowds the importance of education. This fall I will be attending UC Merced and you are looking at a future Dentist.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rD4iBRoQNcjUfPpFvbRzdvB-c29gUjPX/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
UC Riverside, University Avenue, Riverside, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
UC Riverside, University Avenue, Riverside, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
UC Riverside, University Avenue, Riverside, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Hi everyone, my name is Maria

My high school journey was quite an adventure. I really enjoyed my days at the Ranch, and if I could, I would return for one day as a freshman to show what I was able to accomplish within the span of 4 years. I cherish the relationships I made throughout my years whether it was from my friends, teachers and My counselor (Mrs. Hale). They taught me so much about life and boosted my confidence as a once shy freshman.

Throughout my 4 years of high school, I was involved in extracurricular activities such as Track and Field, clubs (GHGH, Stats Club, PUENTE fundraising, health explorers, etc…) and work. My most memorable involvements were volunteering at the salvation army and at my Elementary school where I was able to teach students that remind me of the younger version of myself. Centering myself with students who are younger than me helps me understand how they function and it keeps pushing me to want to become a pediatrician.

I was accepted to a few public and private schools- some being UCM, UCR, Saint Mary’s, Dominican Uni (CA/NY), SFSU, SDSU, CSUF. I was granted scholarships for all of my schools besides CSUF and SFSU simply because one of my teachers didn’t submit my EOP (don’t recommend it) but overall, I got good scholarships from UCR. I will be majoring in CNAS (College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences) to help me achieve my goal of becoming a pediatrician!!

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0ZzYQBphJyI

# data[].attributes.location_name
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Hello, my name is Bianca Gutierrez. I am going to Hartnell Community College, and I will be transferring to a UC after two years. My high school journey was bumpy as I didn't like to do my school work on time, which caused stress, but I've had good grades, and it hasn't been a bad experience. I was accepted to Chico State, San Francisco State, Dominguez Hills, Saint Mary's College of California, and Fullerton. I was involved in the Girls' Health in Girls Hands Club, the Girls Leadership Network, and Puente throughout the years. I didn't receive any scholarships except one from Saint Mary's.

https://youtube.com/shorts/wXKiQ-aqjr0?si=T9TyK6JldOSnJXU6

# data[].attributes.location_name
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Hello! My name is Lucero De La Cruz-Ortiz and this is my overall High school experience! High school went by too quick but sometimes not quick enough. Freshman year was the year to associate with classmates and make new friends. Sophomore year was the time to keep a positive attitude and keep doing community service hours . Junior year you got to lock in, hours have had to be almost done and AP classes come rolling around your schedule. And then you'll be in your last year already. Went by real fast, but you can't relax yet, you have to finish college applications, you have to gather all the entail of your high school life and shove the most important parts into a nice written essay. Everything you do in high school; clubs, sports, volunteer work all of that determines who you are as a person to colleges. I was a part of great clubs like the GLN/ GHGH club, Health explorers club, Puente club, as well as being a part of the track and tennis team. I got accepted into; UC Merced, Saint Martins, Saint Mary's, CSU Fullerton, CSU San Marcos, and another one but I forgot at the moment! I will be transferring. I received a scholarship for Merced, and Saint Martins! My goal now is to study and work hard to become a better version of myself and to continue living in a world where dreams do come true!

#stay calm cool & collected!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bQOALtTrxVu-KB30ou_6v_mV-nOoP_WT/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
University of California, Riverside, University Avenue, Riverside, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
University of California, Riverside, University Avenue, Riverside, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
University of California, Riverside, University Avenue, Riverside, CA

# data[].attributes.body
At the start of my high school journey, I was very quiet and did not involve myself in school. As a first generation student, I was very lost and confused at first on how to start my high school journey to reach my goal of becoming one of the first to graduate and go to college in my family. I wanted to reach my goal and also become a role model for my younger siblings and cousins that I did not have. I started to become involved in FFA which helped me gain strong leadership and speaking skills and boosted my confidence to continue involving myself in extracurriculars and volunteer work. I found myself able to confidently and proudly step out of my comfort zone. I found my passion for many things such as agriculture, dancing through Baile Folklorico, working with kids, psychology, STEM, Crime Prevention, etc. My involvement in different organizations and clubs in school helped me find my passion for these things. The Puente Program was also a really big support system that helped me get to where I am today. I was accepted into CSU Chico, CSU Northridge, CSU LA, CSU Fullerton, UC Merced, UC Riverside, UC Santa Cruz, University of Hawaii at Manoa, and Penn State. I will be attending UC Riverside in the fall and will be majoring in Psychology to become an Occupational Therapist.

Video Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12VvMmo7UGI2_VrM4wVVtO85sipopFDGj/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
250 Natural Bridges Dr, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA

# data[].attributes.body
My name is Owen Gonzalez. I graduated from Rancho in 2026, and I am planning to attend UC Santa Cruz.

My high school journey was stressful and long, I was mostly uninvolved until my senior year, where I took my 3 AP classes for the first time. I am most proud of my AP 2D Studio Art Portfolio. My advice would be to take more challenging classes (AP, Honors, Dual Enrollment), they are often way more interesting than the default courses, and in my experience they were actually easier.

I was accepted into UC Santa Cruz, Chico State, San Jose State, Cal Poly Humboldt, and I received the Cal Grant Scholarship.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HuuD9Co4SHWZWGZjKqZYFALQ6A70n_Gd/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Hi, My name is Gavin Emerson and I am part of the graduating class of 2026. My high school journey was one of steady development and growth as I not only grew physically but also socially and mentally as I challenged myself in track and cross country and in the various AP classes I have taken and survived. My participation in the running sports helped me reach out and open up to and support others in upper and lower classes throughout the years as well as develop my athletic abilities and make many new long lasting friends. My involvement in NHS and Interact Club also helped expose me to my community as I stuck with those until my senior year. The only scholarships I have received have been from colleges, Saint Mary’s college of California 144,000$, New York Institute of Technology 96,000$, Dominican University of California 112,000$.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1abdAI3WmdpSxzrkV2rAbqV4rF9qb9GNf/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Hi! My name is Hilani Villalobos and I am graduating from Rancho San Juan, class of 2026! This fall, I’ll be attending UC Irvine as a soon to be neurobiology major– call me Zotlani! I come from a family & community of persistence and strength who have gone above and beyond for me to be in this position– I am my ancestors’ wildest dream. Within my journey in high school I’ve had many ups and downs, it for

sure tested my ability to persevere the unthinkable but I like to think I’m more than a statistic or an average GPA. I got accepted to 4 UC’s (Irvine, Merced, Santa Cruz, Riverside) and 3 CSU’s (San Jose

State, Sacramento State, Fullerton) as well as 4 Privates (University of San Francisco, Hampshire College, UCONN, Saint Mary’s College of California)! And with the help of scholarships like the First Tee Zoller Family Scholarship, Gary Williams and Alicia Villanueva scholarship, and the LiUNA! Local 270 scholarship, I will be going to college free of cost! A quote I’d like to share is, “Speak yourself; find your name, find your voice by speaking to yourself,”-

RM of BTS. This is a quote that has resonated with me because of my inability to speak up that I have now gotten comfortable with actually speaking up and others should for sure strive to do the same! I am proud of everyone and the future classes & feel free to reach out! Anyways, you are looking at a future pediatric neurologist!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/12HZbWRdxkgijAdrF7pADOHea5yslx8Lb/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
California State University, Sacramento, Jed Smith Dr, Sacramento, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
California State University, Sacramento, Jed Smith Dr, Sacramento, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
California State University, Sacramento, Jed Smith Dr, Sacramento, CA

# data[].attributes.location_name
CSU Monterey Bay, Campus Center, Seaside, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
CSU Monterey Bay, Campus Center, Seaside, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
CSU Monterey Bay, Campus Center, Seaside, CA

# data[].attributes.body
My name is Cecilia Diaz and I am graduating from Rancho San Juan  HS, ℅ 2026. I come from a loving, supportive and hardworking family. Being a first generation student means a lot being able to take the next stepping stone to further my education and have a better future and career. Throughout High school I was involved in many clubs and activities although I did most of them on my own I am grateful for all the experiences, opportunities and achievements that I accomplished. This fall I will be attending CSUMB after getting the 20,000 Pay it Forward Scholarship. I will be majoring in Kinesiology hoping to become a physical therapist.

# data[].attributes.body
Hi! My name is Alexander Sevilla-Valdovinos and I’m graduating with the class of 2026 at Rancho San Juan.

I wasn't a story of a straight curve into success–an implicit sine curve better defines my journey (you can thank AP Calc for elevating my math vocab.)

In my community I have learned what it means to be an advocate for educational justice through Ms. Henry’s classroom, California Boys & Girls State, Salinas Youth & Government Institute, the Young Supervisors program, Mr. Williams’s classroom, and Ms. Garcias’s guidance as my club advisor. These educational experiences prepared me to co-found a club “Mis Compadres” with friends I have grown up with alongside my high school journey to create college and study panels partnering with organizations like Building Healthy Communities whilst creating an iconoclastic and inclusive community. I was also a student consultant in the CSUMB Masters in Education Pathway where I hopefully had teachers of this generation take insight into what a dream classroom could look like and how it could be achieved.

In my community I have learned what it means to be an advocate for community wellness through engagement. I had founded the first ever Rancho Farmers Market and Night Market in my school, bringing over dozens of local businesses, student owned businesses, clubs, and organizations to a geographically isolating corner of town where I had successfully been able to build community engagement with hundreds of community members in attendance. I had created a staple in tradition for our new high school, but what I was most proud of is having the opportunity to give out free produce to our community in attendance through partnership with the Monterey County Food Bank.

I have been accepted to a handful of universities including: UC Berkeley, UCLA, San Jose State, Sacramento State, UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz, UC Riverside, UC Merced and other private universities.

I have received the following scholarships: SUHSD Management, Gary Williams & Alicia Villanueva, and hopefully some others that will come out during the summer.

This fall I will be continuing my education at UCLA where I will switch into Public Affairs on the pre-law or public affairs route.

You are looking at your future politician or lawyer!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a5XbemLgnpNf4ZXZRS2ZpcwiDmE5pctL/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.body
My high school experience was filled with working, volunteering and if im being honest a lot of slacking. When it came to school I was not involved beyond my academics. I wish I had put more effort into learning ways to manage my time and put what is considered most important first, although what was most important to me was helping out my family first. My difficult schedule and lack of responsibility is what gave me F’s in my transcripts which determined what schools I got accepted to or not. With a major in nursing and an F in biology to the best schools for nursing it wasn't looking good . I applied to SJSU, CSUSM, CSULB, SDSU, UCD, UCSB, UCI, UCSD. I was accepted into three out of my schools but if I’m being honest, my mind was already set on Hartnell. I do believe if I’d have set my mind and soul with other intentions and dreams my outcome would've been different but I cannot change the past, only continue to grow and learn for the future.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L4EtQwo5kc7DPilt0yISvBdjS0oGcZnZ/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Hello my name is Jean Carlo. I'm graduating this year from Rancho San Juan Highschool as class of 2026.I come from a family of 4 that encouraged me to the fullest and made sure I knew my potential.My academic journey has been unpredictable. I’ve experienced the highs and the lows academically during high school.I applied to some CSU’s/UC’s and was accepted into Chico State but I've decided it’d be in my best interest to attend Hartnell for 2 years and transfer to a 4 year I like.As of now you're looking at a future structural engineer.

https://youtube.com/shorts/dUxXEMC8zCM?si=BJTNlY-h9l9JgBPa

# data[].attributes.location_name
UC Riverside, University Avenue, Riverside, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
UC Riverside, University Avenue, Riverside, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
UC Riverside, University Avenue, Riverside, CA

# data[].attributes.body
High school was definitely something I'll think back on in the future with fondness. Not only academically was it something completely new that let me get a grasp of the real work, but throughout the four years, I saw myself change in a bunch of different ways, some good, some not so good. I tried to be more involved with my school and did things like found clubs, organized community events (farmers markets), and overall participated a lot in school life. I didn't apple to many schools but got into schools like Penn State, Oregon State, UCR, Cal Poly (Pomona), and more. It was for sure a challenge to see everything through to the end but I'm for sure glad I did.

Video: https://youtu.be/mij9iBbTfc0

# data[].attributes.location_name
San José State University, Washington Square, San Jose, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
San José State University, Washington Square, San Jose, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
San José State University, Washington Square, San Jose, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Throughout my high school journey I was pretty absent my freshman and sophomore year, I was on the tennis team but kept things low key. That was until my junior year where I decided to join ASB, nhs, and take 3 ap…(god knows why..) and high school was the biggest pain in the butt. Nevertheless, I was able to do amazing in tennis, have a good position in leadership, and get into good schools. Such as, CSU San Jose, CSU San Francisco, CSU Fullerton, UC Santa Cruz, UC riverside, UC Merced, and Saint Martin University (waitlisted at UCSB). I got a full ride to Merced and a scholarship of 120k for Saint Martin.

# data[].attributes.body
I did not enjoy my highschool years... it took me until senior year to find what I really valued, highschool definitely felt more like an experience to me rather than prioritizing my education unfortunately, I semi-have outside problem factors to blame a bit. I thought I was destined to be more of an athlete rather than a student until the goat (Henry) opened my mind more during a class conversations, after that I really did try to indulge more in academics. I have done basketball for four years, track and volleyball for two, as well as flag football for one. I spent a lot of highschool trying to figure myself out and have myself determined so that by the time I was ready to go, I would be confident in who I was and what I was doing, I am still searching. The idea use to bother me, but I've learned to love the journey, I know it sounds cliche and cringey honestly, but figuring out myself and who I am alone without other people affecting that has become the happiest moments I've had throughout all four years. The goat (Williams) helped me a lot through that during college applications and I don't even think he realized how much the writing truly helped open my eyes. I was really grateful to have two goats to help me throughout the college application because honestly, its also a journey of self-discovery. The best college/most favorite I got into was LMU, I got awarded some money and had around $30,000 taken off tuition with it, but it was unfortunately just too much. But to end it on a positive note, I put myself out there during highschool, I made so many memories in sports, in doing stuff "for the plot" and in being out there and just doing stuff even if it keeps my up at night when I try to sleep.

# data[].attributes.location_name
University of California San Diego, Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
University of California San Diego, Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
University of California San Diego, Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Hi! My name is Dayanara Guerrero, class of 2026 from Rancho San Juan. My high school experience was interesting and rocky to say the least. If this was me writing freshman year, I probably would dread talking about school and hate talking about college even more. Over the past four years I had the blessing to be a part of the PUENTE program. The program where I fabricated my second home. I was lucky enough to find my closest friends there and my biggest support system along the way. Throughout Highschool I gave myself the chance to integrate myself in places out of my comfort zone, I joined 6 clubs, donated over 2,000 hours of community service to my community, and started to see change for myself. In my senior year, I applied to 30 schools. Out of the 30, I was admitted to 15 (UCs, privates, CSUs, out of states! (waitlisted from around 9 of them which made my decision harder) I received around 3 scholarships so apply to way more than the 10 I did. Thank you for reading!

Link to my video!

# data[].attributes.location_name
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.body
No matter how many times I was told that my high school years would fly past me quicker than I could imagine, I’m still in shock that I will never again be a high school student cheering during football games, sitting at a table during lunch with my friends that are all going off to different colleges, and of course having to sit through classes for 7 hours, 5 days a week. With acceptances from Sacramento state, Chico state, and San Jose state, I have made the decision to stay in my hometown and attend Hartnell college. Throughout my four years I am grateful for everyone I have met and all of the experiences I’ve had. If I could change one thing I would choose to be more involved in clubs/sports!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1k1TKl6lTLungkN1vQiPfDBZW5OyBCnTw/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
CSU Monterey Bay, Campus Center, Seaside, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
CSU Monterey Bay, Campus Center, Seaside, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
CSU Monterey Bay, Campus Center, Seaside, CA

# data[].attributes.body
CSUMB video

When I first began high school I thought I was going to get shoved into some locker (HS movies got to me), but I ended up just having so much fun. I am not going to lie people forget sometimes that freshman year was a little cringe and the "Enjoy it because it flies by" line is very real. I was always very talkative to my teachers and I tried my best in all my classes, but math Junior year fried me so I had to retake it my Senior year which was the best/worst? decision I have ever made since my teacher was the absolute best (shout out to Mrs. Martens)!!! I was accepted to all of my CSU's (CSUMB, CSU Dominguez Hills, SF state and Sacramento state as well as UC Merced with a full ride). I was able to pass my first round and my interview in order to receive the Pay it forward scholarship for CSUMB which is 20k. I also got the Bobcat Scholarship which basically gave me a full ride at UC Merced. At the moment I am working at Gohan to get my money up in order to not worry too much if money ever does become a "problem". Better to be safe than sorry!

# data[].attributes.body
https://youtube.com/shorts/9LPQlwnCv0w?si=9zX3eZonEQ7up6ZW

Hii, I am Jayleen Gonzalez, graduating from Rancho ℅ 2026. This high school journey has left me with teachings and memories. I struggled to find myself and what I really wanted to do with my life, but my senior year gave me some type of guidance to what the next 4 years of my life would look like. With involvement from my AP We project I got the opportunity to work with NAMI in their Youth Empowerment Success Squad, working with the literacy pogram at the Cesar Chavez Library, and even helping here at school with the Mental Health fair and Wellness Wednesdays. All these opportunities opened doors to my acceptances to Monterey Bay State, San Jose State, Long Beach State, San Francsico State, UC Merced, UC Santa Babara, UC Riverside, UC Santa Cruz and UC Berkeley which I will be attending this coming up semester!

# data[].attributes.location_name
University of California Merced, Lake Road, Merced, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
University of California Merced, Lake Road, Merced, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
University of California Merced, Lake Road, Merced, CA

# data[].attributes.body
My name is Axel Chavez, class of 2026. My journey throughout high school has been ever-changing. It has taught me to always keep my guard up, as you never know what is to come. In short, high school is the foundation to adult-hood. As I got myself more involved in my community through Ciclovia Salinas, La Cosecha, AP with WE project, and creating my own unique club, Mis Compadres, I have been able to relinquish autonomy while remaining my authentic self. My journey throughout High School has demonstrated how important every student's perspectives are. Ultimately, I got into UC Merced, San Jose State, and Sacramento State, earning the LULAC and Williams foundation scholarships as well.

Senior Legacy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-kUvYWRKYo

# data[].attributes.location_name
San José State University, Washington Square, San Jose, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
San José State University, Washington Square, San Jose, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
San José State University, Washington Square, San Jose, CA

# data[].attributes.body
My name is Carolina Zepeda. I am graduating from Rancho San Juan ℅ 2026! I am first generation coming from a complex family, where some have used their opportunities to an advantage and some who have continued their struggling traditions... However, my parents have used their opportunities and I believe have succeeded in life where they later encouraged my siblings and I to believe that academics and education were the key to our success. In my high school career I believe I definitely could've used more academic opportunities to my advantage, however life hit me a lot where I had to choose me!

During highschool I spent 4 years doing competative wrestling on and off season. My experience was definitely mentally challenging but I cant say I don't enjoy the physical discipline that came with the sport. I have been doing the sport for 10+ years and it was in my hands to continue it in college or not but I chose to not mentally put myself through it all over again.

However, I am grateful for the continuous support system that I've been able to hold for all 4 years of high school with the same friends. Love you Michelle Duff, Nancy Villicana, Brody Vieria, Ziza Vazquez, Marissa Sanchez & Jayleen Gonzalez!!

This fall I will be attending San Jose State University where I will be switching from child and adolescent development to justice studies.

Schools Accepted: SJSU!!, CSU Fullerton, CSU Humbolt, CSU Chico, & UC Santa Cruz & Menlo College for wrestling (I didn't accept the scholarship)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-7rmf_foKVF9i-oziFW8usDJnl9c12cM/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
Brighton Hall, Sacramento, CA 95819, USA

# data[].attributes.headline
Brighton Hall, Sacramento, CA 95819, USA

# data[].attributes.subject
Brighton Hall, Sacramento, CA 95819, USA

# data[].attributes.body
Hi my name is Naiah Picazo. I am graduating from Rancho San Juan HS, CO 2026. I come from a family who came from very little but worked very hard to support me and get me where I am today. My academic journey these past 4 years has helped me grow both personally and academically. For example, I discovered more about my interests, and began thinking more about my future career goals. This Fall, I will be attending Sacramento State University, and I am looking at a future in psychiatry.

# data[].attributes.location_name
University of California, Davis, Shields Avenue, Davis, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
University of California, Davis, Shields Avenue, Davis, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
University of California, Davis, Shields Avenue, Davis, CA

# data[].attributes.body
My name is Jazabell Garcia and I am a graduation senior of the class of 2026. This upcoming fall I will be attending UC Davis! My high school career started out pretty uneventful to tell the honest truth. I have never really been a student who was involved in the school. I did take a lot of pride in my grades though and from my freshman year to my senior year I was a straight A student with some B’s. The schools that I was accepted to include Chico State, San Francisco State, Fresno State, Sacramento State, UC Merced, UC Santa Cruz, UC Riverside, UC Irvine, and finally UC Davis. In the end I chose to go to UC Davis to eventually apply to their masters nursing program and can't wait to start my college journey in the fall.  https://www.youtubeeducation.com/watch?v=MhU4ZfgULLQ

# data[].attributes.location_name
University of California, Santa Cruz, High Street, Santa Cruz, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
University of California, Santa Cruz, High Street, Santa Cruz, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
University of California, Santa Cruz, High Street, Santa Cruz, CA

# data[].attributes.body
My four-year journey at Rancho has been marked by both challenges and triumphs; however, I would not wish for it to have happened any differently, as it has provided me with valuable learning experiences. Coming to Rancho from a different town two months into my freshman year was a great challenege due to the fact that I was forced to adjust to a new community. To my surprise, I found it easy to be able to integrate and connect with my peers. I had the privilege of meeting remarkable individuals who guided me through the dynamic of the school environment and helped foster a sense of belonging.

During my high school experience, I became more actively engaged in a great amount of extracurriculars. Participation in clubs and sports, particularly flag football, allowed me to expand my social network and further immerse myself in the community. Teachers like Mr. Jolliff and Ms. Henry played a pivotal role in pushing my academic abilities, encouraging me to pursue aspirations that stretched beyond my comfort zone.

I also credit myself for my own resilience in navigating difficult periods throughout these years, particularly during times when I was forced to constantly move from house to house. As I approach graduation and consider the "next step" in my educational journey, I reflect on the countless memories I have created here at Rancho. I look forward to forging new experiences as I transition into adulthood. This next chapter of my life will commence at the University of California, Santa Cruz UCSC, where I will proudly shift from a Trailblazer to a Banana Slug.

GO SLUGS!

https://drive.google.com/drive/home

# data[].attributes.location_name
California State University, Sacramento, Jed Smith Dr, Sacramento, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
California State University, Sacramento, Jed Smith Dr, Sacramento, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
California State University, Sacramento, Jed Smith Dr, Sacramento, CA

# data[].attributes.body
I consider my high school journey to have been full of ups and downs. I believe that throughout high school I have definitely grown into a completely different person than the one that walked into the campus on the first day of freshman year. After my sophomore year I realized that I wanted more for myself than just coming to school and doing the bare minimum. My Freshman and Sophomore year I just attended school because I needed to, did not participate in any activities or clubs, and honestly was living a very boring life. I decided to try out for cheerleading and honestly it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Cheerleading made school exciting. I had something to look forward to everyday. I built relationships with coaches and teammates that I cherish so much and made an endless amount of memories. My biggest piece of advice to any incoming freshman or any student of any grade is that it is never too late to get involved and it definitely makes your high school experience one to remember. During the summer of my senior year I had decided that I did not want to attend a 4 year university and that I would go the community college route and then transfer after 2 years. That summer I focused mostly on cheer and did not do any sort of college application prep, even though this was my mindset walking into senior year I definitely did not leave with that mindset. I applied and got accepted into CSU San Bernardino, CSU east bay, CSUMB, and Sacramento State. I applied to the Alicia Villanueva and Gary Williams scholarship hoping to get some financial assistance for school and received a $250 scholarship. Looking back at high school it definitely did go by as fast as some of the former seniors would mention, I am grateful for all the relationships I have built with peers, staff members and teachers during my time at Rancho San Juan.

https://youtube.com/shorts/asOovQL4Lqk

# data[].attributes.location_name
Monterey Peninsula College, Fremont Street, Monterey, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
Monterey Peninsula College, Fremont Street, Monterey, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
Monterey Peninsula College, Fremont Street, Monterey, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Throughout my high school journey, and given the opportunity to be in a relatively new high school. I learned the importance of perseverance, growth, and leadership. As a freshman, I entered high school determined to challenge myself athletically while building lifelong friendships and memories that I will remember for the rest of my life. Over the years, I became more confident and disciplined through balancing school, basketball, and personal responsibilities. Basketball remained an important part of my life, earning MVPs during my first two seasons and Defensive Player of the Year during my third. During my senior year, I faced one of my biggest obstacles after suffering an ACL injury, but instead of giving up, I became an assistant varsity coach and continued supporting my team. Getting acceptances into four CSU campuses and qualification for the Cal Kids Scholarship.

https://youtube.com/shorts/OO5L2fcC6oM?si=bbpppeHM1QItoS-_

# data[].attributes.location_name
California State University, Chico, West 1st Street, Chico, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
California State University, Chico, West 1st Street, Chico, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
California State University, Chico, West 1st Street, Chico, CA

# data[].attributes.body
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MSnX2M1TvaXajnDFKpkDlZGF-wTeurTz/view?usp=sharing

High school was a lot. From day one, I felt this huge pressure from my family to succeed, plus I had personal stuff and health issues that really held me back sometimes. But I never stopped pushing. I was a cheerleader (sophomore year on), robotics club all four years (president junior & senior year!), MESA secretary, dance team, and CPTED freshman year. Worked every summer and break, volunteered at rodeo, and became a student leader. I got into nine colleges Chico State, CSUF, CSUB, OIT, NAU, Saint Mary’s, NYIT, Wentworth, Trine, SUNY Buffalo. Picked Chico State for the programs. Only bummer? Applied to way fewer scholarships than I wanted and haven’t heard back. But honestly? I made amazing friends and really loved it.

# data[].attributes.location_name
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Hi, my name is Jesiah Escobar. I am graduating from Rancho San Juan. As the class of 2026. My high school journey has been fascinating. During my four years of high school, I have been involved with theater and ASB, and I was able to make some changes that brought some good and some bad. I was a stage manager for theater and then became an actor. I have learned many lessons throughout high school, not only academically but also life-wise. The college I am going to is Hartnell Community College, and I will be transferring to a UC to become a Rad Tech. (little Spidey joke) You can call me webhead, you can call me amazing... just don't call me late for dinner ( inspiring quote now) Anyone from anywhere can do anything and this is that

# data[].attributes.location_name
University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

# data[].attributes.body
My high school journey has been a rollercoaster. Starting out, I was extremely anxious and self-conscious. One of my biggest fears was never making any friends, of being alone for four years, of letting my anxieties control me. But now, looking back from the finish line, I am proud to say that is not the case. Even through the highs and lows, I would be lying if I said I regret how I spent my high school years. I have met amazing teachers and even more amazing friends. I have been a member of the Culinary club, Puente club, NHS, GHGH, etc. I have been accepted to CSU Chico, CSU Fresno, CSUMB, UC Berkeley, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Columbia College Chicago, Saint Mary's College of California, Santa Clara University, Seton Hall University, and Wesleyan College. I have received the California Middle Class Scholarship and a Berkeley Undergraduate Scholarship. I am grateful to have spent my four years as a trailblazer (:

Here's my video :D

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15wCMRThP4sQEPwdKhvATnhaxk6OaPhIl/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.body
My high school journey has been extremely eventful. I would find myself staying up late every night getting homework done or studying notes. Throughout high school I wasn’t really involved in many clubs or activities which is one of my biggest regrets. I was a person that was scared to try new things and would be nervous of what I was getting myself into. That is mainly what held me back from exploring. Advice would be to not be afraid to get out of your comfort zone because one small change can lead to something you may be interested in. I played volleyball all four years of high school where I created many new friendships. I dedicated most of my time volunteering at The First Tee of Monterey County where I earned 200 hours for two summers each of volunteering. The schools that I was accepted to were UNLV, FPU, HPU, Coppin State, LSU, Dominican University, University of Nevada, Reno, and University of New Mexico. I received scholarships from New Mexico and Nevada, Reno where I would pay in-state student tuition. I will be attending Hartnell College for my first two years hoping to transfer out. I will be majoring in Public Health. I plan to pursue a career in becoming a Sonographer.

# data[].attributes.location_name
Grand Canyon University, West Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ

# data[].attributes.headline
Grand Canyon University, West Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ

# data[].attributes.subject
Grand Canyon University, West Camelback Road, Phoenix, AZ

# data[].attributes.body
Overall, my high school journey was pleasant. Freshman through Junior year, were the years I found myself. I feel like I have more room to grow in college but my goals remain the same as well as my excitement to achieve better! Senior year was a whole different experience out of all four years in high school. Coming into this school year knowing I wouldn’t be coming back next year was crazy! College was a big decision but the 9 college acceptance letters I got heightened my confidence (Cal Poly Humboldt, CSUMB, Sac State, SF State, CSU San Marcos, ASU, Grand Canyon University, University of SF, and Cal Lutheran University). I didn’t receive a lot of scholarships but when I decided to commit to GCU they gave me early decision scholarships and a really nice GPA scholarship (the higher your GPA, the more money you get towards tuition). And now I am excited to move to Arizona and become a Nurse!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/107Vm-abbjH6Bm8D2FSjr3YytPizdoD01/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.body
My High school experience was filled with many ups and downs, but I never gave up. My time in Puente allowed me to open my horizons and become friends with people I would have never talked to. Puente is a big part of my personality because it allowed me to open up and express myself fully. I have taken multiple AP classes which I feel like prepped me for college because it gave me so much knowledge. Even though I suffered heavily from procrastination I still managed to pull through and now I will be attending Hartnell college for two years and transferring to CSUF after.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1r0NKF7iSa9H3jfJFrjZTsNBFbhwhq6_H/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
CSU Monterey Bay, Campus Center, Seaside, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
CSU Monterey Bay, Campus Center, Seaside, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
CSU Monterey Bay, Campus Center, Seaside, CA

# data[].attributes.body
My High School experience was amazing, definitely had a bunch of ups and downs but in the end it all paid off. I wasn't involved in clubs but I was involved in sports since I did sports all 4 years of high school (Flag Football & Soccer). I do have some regret not joining more clubs but I think because I was so involved with sports it cancelled it out. I applied to many schools and luckily got accepted into mainly all of them except some UC's. Some that were most important to me were UCR, University of Arizona, University of San Francisco, MSMU and many others. Sadly I didnt get that many scholarships or money because I was considered to have parents that made "too much money". So everything that I have to pay will be out of pocket. Other than that I am glad to be attending CSUMB because I have so many people around me that support me.

https://youtube.com/shorts/faFbbikcSFM?si=iZtgeX54OoMDj0NH

# data[].attributes.location_name
California Polytechnic State University, CA, USA

# data[].attributes.headline
California Polytechnic State University, CA, USA

# data[].attributes.subject
California Polytechnic State University, CA, USA

# data[].attributes.body
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qGpZ0hAB2U-g2Ls2VRwpjrMjOEf8k4Fl/view?usp=sharing

Hi my name is Yaridiana Garcia and I am a graduating senior from Rancho San Juan High School. High school was a journey for sure. If I could give freshman year me some advice, I would say

stop letting your "friends" influence you. I have grown a lot and I do wish I could go back to give myself more motivation to do better. Yes other circumstances were occurring but I just wish I didn’t let it tear me down so much. But I am still proud of what I was able to accomplish. During high school, Puente was for sure the program that left an everlasting impression on me.

Puente was like a pillow I could always fall back on, I knew that no matter what I was going through Ms. Hale and Ms.Bowen were there for me. I will forever remember learning about Black trailblazers and competing against the other class. Days like those were what made high

school fun. I got into 3 out of 4 of my CSU’s, half of my common app, and the UC’s kind of hurt my heart but it's okay, because it just wasn’t meant for me. I tried to apply to as many scholarships as I

could but I do regret not pushing myself to hit the deadlines. I appreciate getting awarded the Gary Williams and Alicia Villanueva Scholarship very much. I am so proud of the person I am becoming and hope to flourish more at Cal Poly SLO.

# data[].attributes.location_name
University of Oregon, East 13th Avenue, Eugene, OR

# data[].attributes.headline
University of Oregon, East 13th Avenue, Eugene, OR

# data[].attributes.subject
University of Oregon, East 13th Avenue, Eugene, OR

# data[].attributes.body
My high school journey was memorable filled with excitement and fear. I had many difficulties on the way but with the support of my academic counselor, I was able to pick up back where I was. Walking into what would be my life for the next 4 years was scary to think about. I knew I had so much time but soon I blinked and now I’m finishing up my last year here at Rancho San Juan. My involvement here at Rancho San Juan was being apart of my cheer team for the past 4 years and being on the dance team one year. For the past 4 years, I was apart of the Puente Program which was a guidance for me as first generation student in my family. Without the help of my academic counselor and teachers, I never would have imagined myself here right now looking at all my accomplishments and my acceptances to schools. Without the help and support of Puente, I wouldn’t know where to start my college journey and I wouldn’t be who I am right now. Some schools I was accepted into were SDSU, CSULA, University of Oregon, University of Washington, and Oregon Tech. I hope to continue to expand my knowledge at the University of Oregon and being more involved there as well!

# data[].attributes.location_name
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.body
My name is Sadie, and my high school journey wasn’t the greatest. All throughout high school I was barely getting by, whether it was with grades, attendance, or my mental health. I never fully enjoyed high school, in fact I dreaded coming, but my junior year I started to find myself a bit. Junior year I want to say was my worst year mental health and grades wise but towards the end I started to surround myself with people that made me want to go. I became more involved at school by joining ASB as well as clubs. I became more motivated in my classes. Because of my prior efforts in high school I felt that Hartnell would be the best fit for me because I needed a chance to redeem myself. After Hartnell I am still so unsure of where I want to go which is the main reason I chose Hartnell to give myself that time to decide

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_98xRn-01kPtMTLzMsR32wSjaMv9hvH7/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
UC San Diego, Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
UC San Diego, Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
UC San Diego, Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Hi, my name is Brody Vieira. My high school journey was filled with exciting moments and mistakes that shaped me into the person I am today. I'm grateful for the teachers who encouraged and believed in me. Over the last four years, I have created amazing friendships. These friendships have helped me become a better person, believe in myself, and create connections that I hope to continue after high school. During high school, I was involved in FFA and an organization outside of school called TCR, a non-profit where people rode horses through obstacle courses. Both programs helped me develop leadership and social skills. In my junior year of high school, I completed my AP We With Service project and earned my Seal of Civic Engagement by advocating for collaboration between general education and special education. I was accepted to CSUMB, CSU Fullerton, CSU Chico State, UC Santa Cruz, and UC San Diego.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/14rAo1WIJM6hTHZXCokCVBr7-kD9AIwW0/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
California State University, Fullerton, North State College Boulevard, Fullerton, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
California State University, Fullerton, North State College Boulevard, Fullerton, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
California State University, Fullerton, North State College Boulevard, Fullerton, CA

# data[].attributes.body
High school year was a journey filled with both challenges and unforgettable memories. There were difficult moments where I felt stressed, overwhelmed, and unsure of myself, but those experiences taught me resilience, patience, and pushed me to keep going when things felt difficult. Along with the struggles came some of the best memories, including school events, clubs, meeting new friends, and growing closer with people who supported me. As a first-generation student, balancing responsibilities and academics was not always easy, but my hard work led to acceptances from CSUMB, CSU Fullerton, Fresno State, UC San Diego, and the University of Texas at Austin, making my journey feel truly rewarding.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1psk5v0VnJEJdNzrzWLH211zadUmGfpoM/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.body
Hello my name is Luz,

I come from Indigenous immigrant parents. I started my education in Oaxaca, Mexico. My high school journey has been a roller coaster, I was pretty on it my freshman and sophomore year taking plus courses until, my junior year. My junior year was super stressful and overwhelming due to over working myself. I was involved with the Migrant Education Program, I did the SOAP BOX Speech, volunteered at the local elementary and was/is a language advocate. I applied to many colleges, I got accepted into twelve universities such as UCSC, SeattleU, Drexel, UOP, CSUMB, SCU Fullerton, SCU Northridge, CSULA and more. I committed to UC Merced majoring in business management and economics. I got the Costco Wholesale Scholarship that was the amount of $14,000 for SeattleU and I was also awarded with the Gary Williams and Alicia Villanueva scholarship of $500. I can't wait to see what the future holds for me and as well as my peers. : )

My video

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Tje1k7qyWb1Ag61jpY7MaIYD-pQ-01rv/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Hi buds, my name is Annajade Nunez. I was accepted into 8 colleges. I was involved in my community through orgs such as La Cosecha, Ciclovia, and an Aztec Dance Non-Profit "In Ixtli In Yolot". I was a part of wrestling, volleyball, the Robotics club, the Drama Llamas, and the Intellectual Buddies club. To me, high school was gratifying because of the extracurricular activities I took on, just to experience new things. I used to hate being home, and after having a rough start to high school, I just wanted to be a part of something. Being able to connect with my community was very healing, and it was because of my openness that I was able to make connections. I show that I care and allow myself to be cared for, and I let others know me as a whole, not a certain section of me. Oftentimes, we deem ourselves unworthy due to our flaws, but that just means we are capable of change and a better life; that was the vibe I wanted people to get from me :)

https://youtu.be/QIhXSqQFXzA?si=guYf2_Fk59olB0UY

# data[].attributes.body
Hello! my name is Floricelda Salvador Vasquez and I am graduating from Rancho San Juan HS, class of 2026, moving to three different High schools throughout my education journey gave me a reflection to take full advantage of the resources offered to me to overcome educational and personal barriers. Which have helped me expand my knowledge while making an impact in my community through issues that I'm passionate about. I have been involved in Biojam, Speech and debate, Spanish Honor Society and have volunteered at my local Elementary. I was accepted to UC Berkeley!, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine. UCSC, UCM, UCR, USF, CSUMB,CSU Chico, CSU San Jose and CSU Fullerton. I also received the Good Tidings Scholarship, Gary Williams and Alicia Villanueva scholarship, LULAC scholarship and Salinas Masonic Lodge scholarship.

Video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XRo2uYkTqVHO-rrtekGzn9dnDSdGSOxd/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Hi, my name is Leslie, I am graduating from Rancho San Juan in May of 2026. My high school journey has been eventful. During my four years in high school, I have been involved with clubs and in school activities. I have made a bunch of unforgettable memories with some amazing people that I have met through my journey. I have learned many valuable life lessons throughout high school. I have dedicated my time to helping my community and trying to be involved . Fortunately, I was accepted to some of my dream schools like Chico state, Sacramento state and cal poly Humboldt University.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jsX85dWHBZFMicdlsPyMbfoJQgyBFe-W/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
CSU Monterey Bay, Campus Center, Seaside, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
CSU Monterey Bay, Campus Center, Seaside, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
CSU Monterey Bay, Campus Center, Seaside, CA

# data[].attributes.body
When I was a child. I was afraid of spiders.

Spiders crawled. They were tiny beings that consisted of many eyes. Spinning and twining threads and webs to ensnare the fools who dare to walk into their clutches. They waited, waited. And they stayed.

That was the scariest part of spiders. They stayed.

That’s how I felt on my school journey. And yet.. I emerged from the spider’s web. My hands once balled into fists while I was younger slowly loosened to feel the threads slip onto the floor and out of my grasp. I felt.. Vulnerable. More times this year that I realized. I did so much, but also I feel like I did so little. So when CSUMB came along and they were willing to accept the shell of a student, I jumped at it. Desperate. Wishing for something to look forward to after high school and my lackluster performance. And now, I have something to truly look forward to after all. My accomplishments, my mounting dread and failures, all culminated into being part of CSUMB, a place to call home.

# data[].attributes.body
My name is Emiliano Yanez-Rodriguez and I am graduating from Rancho San Juan HS, ℅ 26’. I come from a family that migrated from Mexico at a very young age, especially my dad coming to work with this dad here in California at just 13 years old. With all the sacrifices that they made to get me here in this country shows that, they wanted me to succeed in whatever I wanted to accomplish in my future life. My academic journey has been full of challenges but I never gave up no matter what the assignment was and how much time it would take me. I was accepted to Sac State, San Jose State, and UC Merced. A scholarship that I received was from ELKS MVS for $250.  I wished I had joined some clubs but playing soccer for 3 years as a Varsity player helped me develop my leadership skills outside of school. This Fall I will be attending the University of California, Merced, to continue my education and chase the dream of becoming your future Mechanical Engineer.

# data[].attributes.body
Hello!!! My name is Silvia De La Cruz Saavedra and my time in high school has been memorable and full with cherished memories. I definitely would be in the place I am in right now if it wasn’t for my friends, family, my counselor Mrs. Hale and PUENTE teachers who have acted as my mentors in my college application process. I was heavily involved in the Spanish Club at RSJ and outside of school I dedicated my time to volunteering with the Migrant Program during the summers and Saturdays. I also volunteered with Ciclovia Salinas (best thing ever, definitely volunteer w/them). The UC's I was accepted into were Santa Cruz, Merced, Riverside and Berkeley. Definitely apply everywhere and don’t let the fear of getting rejected prevent you from applying, just apply to apply, you never know, you might get in. I say this because I applied to Berkeley thinking that I wasn’t going to get in, but I just let myself kind of have that small hope that I would get in. Getting rejected to a school doesn’t define or turn down all the efforts that you put in throughout your high school years. I know I really started to feel really discouraged after getting rejection letters from Irvine and Davis, and felt mostly heartbroken from Davis because Davis was the Dream and then March 26 came and I opened up an acceptance letter from Berkeley, so don’t let those rejections define you and always have hope. Finally, the scholarship I received was literally just the Burger King Scholarship of $1000 and college merit scholarships from privates.

Please feel free to contact me at my emails silviadsaavedra@berkeley.edu or txt14kai@gmail.com

https://youtube.com/shorts/u-2BGS23RVw?si=DJETCXapGEyHSw9e

# data[].attributes.body
My name is Jasmin Ruiz-Mendez. My journey through high school has been tough but extremely rewarding. I was initially extremely shy and avoided making myself known. However when Junior year came around I began putting myself out and joined the Spanish Honor Society, Monterey Art Council, The Spanish club, CPTED, and founded my own STEM campaign. Senior year I continued all of these and additionally participated in a virtual internship with Blue Origin, and became an educational aid for MEP. Some schools I was accepted to include UC Berkeley, Cal Poly Slo, UC San Diego, UC Davis, UC, Santa Cruz, UC Merced, UC Riverside, Sac State, SJSU, and Cal Poly Pomona. Some scholarships I have received so far include the LULAC scholarship and the Aztec Legacy scholarship. Overall I am extremely excited to begin my new journey at UC Berkeley class of 2030!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dYosaqkOZ7kykf14t0k9cGeNMM6T9Wrr/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.body
My name is noemi macias garcia, I am graduating from Rancho San Juan high school 2026. I come from a Proud hard-working family filled with bakers or military backgrounds who never gave up on their dreams thanks to my supporting and loving parents that left everything they have known into a new world with nothing in their hands but with those same hands gave me everything I've wanted or needed. My academic journey has been a rollercoaster with harsh stops but that didn’t stop me from achieving my dream. This year I be in the US air force and im looking forwarded to be aeronautical engineer

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1u-j8wiiklLaMnXrRPTfdb-fF44D2zjPV/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.body
My high school journey has been very eventful and each year has presented me with new challenges and opportunities. I have been involved in so many different programs and clubs. The most significant and impactful of those have been Puente which has given me access to a tight kit community, the Salinas Valley Dream Academy which has given me the opportunities to visit different colleges and volunteer in my community, and CIEE which allowed me to become more independent by traveling abroad and studying in London for three weeks. This fall I am going to UC Berkeley and my intended major is Nutrition and Metabolic Biology. So far I have received the Burger King scholarship, the Rotary scholarship, and the Gary Williams & Alicia Villanueva scholarship.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OCi1pcqWNf3zTweuj6bPYhK4fwVNv9b_/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
Central Coast College, North Main Street, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
Central Coast College, North Main Street, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
Central Coast College, North Main Street, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.body
These past four years have been filled with good and bad memories, all worth it to become the person I am today. I started being a very shy student in all my classes, especially in English class. Who knew that was going to be the start of my education journey; from working on blog posts to trying to write my PIQ’s in the summer before going into senior year. I never really thought that I would be applying to private schools, or maybe thinking of going out of state. I decided to stay close and stay in Salinas and continue with my small business and attend trade school. I am truly grateful for the opportunity of being part of my Punte community and like they say “once a puentista, always a puentesita”

MY VIDEO

# data[].attributes.body
https://youtube.com/shorts/i6CVjFP7yKY?si=pyIL-h1o53l9o19S

What's up my name is Axel Chicas Torres I am graduating from the class of 2026 I come from a family whose hardships only fuel their motivations, and after junior and senior year I feel so motivated to finally move on and look at life from the home plate and be ready for any curveballs and fastballs(fences reference) it was hard navigating through high school having to deal with so many personal issues that there were many days where I just didn't want to continue but if my family was able to do it then I most certainly will. I got accepted into CSULA, CSUF (fresno), Sac State, Whittier, UCF, UCM, UCR, and UCSC through the hard work of being in multiple sports like football, wrestling, volleyball, track and field, and clubs like  Mis compadres, JNHS, Theatre, and finally internships like, NASA MAA, and an internship offered by Mr.Syal. It was hard making a decision but at last I burnt the boats and you are looking at a future Mechanical Engineer at the University of California Merced.

# data[].attributes.location_name
University of California, Riverside, University Avenue, Riverside, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
University of California, Riverside, University Avenue, Riverside, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
University of California, Riverside, University Avenue, Riverside, CA

# data[].attributes.body
My high school journey was definitely eye-opening as to what the world is like. I learned that even though you really want things to go your way, that won't always happen, and the same thing goes for friendships; you gain some, you lose some, but you don't lose yourself. I think the experiences you live through in high school set you up for success in the outside world, because they build up your courage and determination to keep on preserving to work towards your main goals.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gT9uCd-OKvMSNNMA7aqPaqpSLZhViN8l/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Hi My name is Ezra Escobedo Rancho San Juan HS, ℅ 2026  i come from a encouraging family  a family where my grandparents were born in mexico and moved down to salinas california too live a better life and my parents were both born in the united states i want thank my family them always being there for me as well as helping me with important stuff in life my experience for the  4 years of high school. there was a lot of ups and downs but mostly downs but that pushed me harder to do better in class due to my freshman year being kind of rough averaging below a 2.5 gpa and i started to improve when i started to see that i would have to make up a lot junior and senior year i was involved with wrestling which i was a varsity team captain for 3 years and i didn't decided to wrestle my senior year due to something happening on the team i also played football for all 4 years but missed out on my junior season due to a fractured fibula also i didnt join  any clubs but i wish i did join clubs throughout highschool the only club i was involved with was the christian club i helped out my friend and my favorite part of highschool was being able to make new friends and hanging out with my friends i also wasn't involved in any ap classes but i wanted to challenge myself and learn more about college and english because i felt like they didnt show us much in regular english and i never realized the importance of clubs and the extracurriculars in highschool this fall i will be attending hartnell for the 2 years than transfer to either CSULB or CSUMB to become a physical therapist

https://youtu.be/lRz11auMzKA

# data[].attributes.location_name
California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Throughout high school I wasn’t as involved as I should have been and didn’t start joining more clubs until my junior year. I joined NHS, Interact, and Health Explorers. My academics have always been fairly good, having mostly A’s or B’s in my classes and taking a total of 4 AP classes. Starting my college application in the summer of my senior year I thought I would be entering as a science some-type of biology major but ended up entering as a business major which was more fitting considering I sold brownies at school for 4 years. I applied to CSUMB, CSUF, CSU East Bay, SDSU, and CSULB; getting into all but SDSU. For UCs I applied to UCSB, UCI, UCLA, UCB, UCSC, and UCSD; getting either waitlisted or rejected from all besides UCSC. I also applied to MSMLA, Oregon, Cal Lutheran, UH at Manoa which I got accepted to for all of these. I also got rejected from USC and waitlisted for Babson. However, I decided to go to CSU Long Beach! I received a $10,000 scholarship from First Tee.

https://youtube.com/shorts/2og2jk5eFKM?si=Cn4faKukgANxbCbh

# data[].attributes.body
Hey! My name is Mareline Ortiz, through the past 4 years I have attended 3 high schools, North Monterey county, Everett Alvarez and I’m graduating as part of the class of 2026 here at Rancho San Juan high school. I found it very hard to adapt to different environments but I knew I had to do it quickly and to fight for my resources in order to obtain a higher education. I volunteered at Salinas Valley memorial hospital and the Salvation for the majority of my time and I worked in the fields all summer and occasionally throughout the school year. I was not a perfect A student, but  I took the most rigorous courses offered at all my high schools to have a strong transcript such as every “+” class and 8 AP classes.  I got scholarships from every school ranging from 200-15,000, I received the Gary Williams and Alicia Villanueva scholarship alongside DAR Good citizen and the Janet Hedlund scholarship. I was accepted into csu fullerton, csu san jose, csu san francisco, uc merced, uc riverside, uc santa cruz, uc irvine, uc davis, uc san Diego and will be attending UC Santa Barbara this upcoming fall because I am attending for free and it's a gorgeous social campus lol

https://drive.google.com/file/d/14xplR00_5ES4_6BEugAcA424fgsMLaMT/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
California Polytechnic State University, Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
California Polytechnic State University, Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
California Polytechnic State University, Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA

# data[].attributes.body
My time in high school has been laborious but paid off in the end. I was involved in may clubs, some being CSF, Interact, and NHS, and I was also a part of sports throughout my whole 4 years of high school. I had always said even if I didn't get into my dream school I was going to go out of state. I had a change of plans (lol) I got into 8 the schools I applied to, CSU Fullerton, San Jose University, Cal Poly SLO, Cal Poly Pomona, UC Davis, UC Irvine, Santa Clara, and Saint Mary's College. Even though I had never thought I would be going to Cal Poly I'm so glad I made the choice I did because it was the best possible school for my major Materials Engineering.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/120p72l8enpm4fLabeiatssndsT2cTbB4/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.body
My high school adventure from being a freshman all the way up to being a senior was hard for me. The work was hard, but because I was growing up faster by the minute, with every year passing me like sand was time in my hands. In my last year of high school, I got accepted into Sac State, Cal Poly Pomona, Fresno State, and Chico State. I was involved in the Christian club for 4 years and did baseball my junior year and football my senior year, accomplishing many achievements more in football than baseball, being the starting nose tackle on varsity. Overall, the things I was most proud of were the friends I made throughout the year. The positive relationships I had with my teachers, looking back, and never regretting anything from high school.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eHHgtnryCp5_WcG_XvJvq7YmlcsCSHbf/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
Monterey Peninsula College, Fremont Street, Monterey, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
Monterey Peninsula College, Fremont Street, Monterey, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
Monterey Peninsula College, Fremont Street, Monterey, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Throughout my high school journey, and given the opportunity to be in a relatively new high school. I learned the importance of perseverance, growth, and leadership. As a freshman, I entered high school determined to challenge myself athletically while building lifelong friendships and memories that I will remember for the rest of my life. Over the years, I became more confident and disciplined through balancing school, basketball, and personal responsibilities. Basketball remained an important part of my life, earning MVPs during my first two seasons and Defensive Player of the Year during my third. During my senior year, I faced one of my biggest obstacles after suffering an ACL injury, but instead of giving up, I became an assistant varsity coach and continued supporting my team. My hard work also led to acceptances into four CSU campuses and qualification for the Cal Kids Scholarship.

# data[].attributes.location_name
California State University, Sacramento, Jed Smith Dr, Sacramento, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
California State University, Sacramento, Jed Smith Dr, Sacramento, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
California State University, Sacramento, Jed Smith Dr, Sacramento, CA

# data[].attributes.body
My high school academic/athletic journey has been full of growth and learning lessons that have taught me maturity. Through the years of high school I've improved in my leadership schools in the classroom and on the basketball court and even in my community, most imporntaly I've gained many relationships and picked off knowledge from those who gave advice. athletically I participated in high school basketball and played varsity all 4 years. I apprentice all the memories and friends Ive made. I got accepted into Oregon University, Clemson University, CSU Long beach, Sacramento State, Saint Mary’s, University of Kentucky, CSU Fullerton, Hawai Pacific, University of Denver, University of Arizona, George Fox University, Washington State, Kansas State University, Gavilan College (Basketball), University of La Verne (Basketball), Whitworth College (Basketball). I ended up committing to Sac, majoring in Kinesiology, and I plan to become a physical therapist down the line.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1whskO-B_09S04Z_3f5y99L4K1YLpc5AX/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.body
https://youtube.com/shorts/JoEKVjcorwQ?si=buizCxj8TVcNP5LZ

My high school journey was like an up and down roller coaster ride. Oftentimes finding myself doing good in all of my classes to then finding myself seeming to struggle just to keep up, fighting the constant battle to simply stay motivated. Although fighting this constant battle I was able to stay active in the clubs that I partook in like the California Scholarship Federation, Japanese National Honors Society, and National Honors Society and also managed to be a part of the Top 25 for four consecutive years. Seeing my hard work that I have put in over the course of four years finally getting results, receiving acceptance letters to various schools like, Sacramento State, CSU Los Angeles, Fullerton, University of the Pacific, Mount Saint Mary’s Los Angeles, University of Nevada Reno, Dominican University, Saint Mary’s College of California, UC Merced, University of San Francisco, UC Santa Cruz, UC Riverside, UC Davis, and UC Irvine and got wait-listed to Berkeley and UC San Diego, but ultimately committing to UC Davis set to graduate in 2030.

# data[].attributes.location_name
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.body
My high school journey was interesting. I was lost for 3 years about which college I was going to and how to apply. During my senior year I learned a lot about different colleges and which colleges I should apply to. I applied to most UC colleges except Santa Barbara and Diego. I got accepted into CSUMB CSU East Bay CSU Fullerton UC riverside UC Merced. It was hard picking which school to commit to but I decided to go to Hartnell to get a certification in automotive because I still am not sure what I want to do with my future. My plan is to find out what I really want to do in the future but in the meantime finish Hartnell and hopefully transfer to a UC or CSU.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Senior Legacy Final (May 12, 2026 at 10_53 PM)

# data[].attributes.location_name
University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Video Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KH3SOSBAUx1n_qbg3HJVuj696HTjTBS3/view?usp=sharing

My high school journey was unforgettable, chaotic, especially junior and senior year, and also bittersweet. In my senior year I was accepted into various different schools like UC Davis, UC Irvine, Pace University, LSU, La Verne, San Diego State, Cal Poly and more. Although I have not received any scholarships, I hope to receive a lot in the future. Throughout high school I participated in the Youth and Government Institute for 2 summers, then joining the Youth Council as the communications director. I also was a student leader at First Tee helping out younger kids. I was also part of the National Honors Society for my senior year. In total, I have completed over 500 hours of community service whether it was volunteering with the city or helping elementary schools. I am proud of everything I have accomplished, and I hope to continue helping others while in college and once I graduate.

# data[].attributes.location_name
University of California, Santa Cruz, High Street, Santa Cruz, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
University of California, Santa Cruz, High Street, Santa Cruz, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
University of California, Santa Cruz, High Street, Santa Cruz, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Hey Hey! My name is Jesus Montoya. High school felt like an expansion to my school life. I still had my old friends but a whole new bunch of people. But to keep it short, I had a lot of fun during school, a crazy amount of learning and a massive amount of drama. It was something new and controversial each year. Anyways, In my junior year, I was about to join track & field until my former English teacher encouraged me to join the school play. I always had interest in the arts so to be a part of something like that felt really special. Finally, I was admitted into Hartnell College, CSUMB, CSUEB, SJSU, SFSU, UC Merced, UC Riverside, and UC Santa Cruz. I also received the Horatio Alger Scholarship for $10,000 which is a big help for me with my loans.

# data[].attributes.location_name
UC Santa Cruz, Natural Bridges Drive, Santa Cruz, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
UC Santa Cruz, Natural Bridges Drive, Santa Cruz, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
UC Santa Cruz, Natural Bridges Drive, Santa Cruz, CA

# data[].attributes.body
My name is Jezelle Rocha and I am a part of Rancho San Juan High School's class of 2026. High school has been surprisingly smooth sailing for me. I have made friends in my classes and clubs throughout the years, and would not have it any other way. I was lucky enough to have found such amazing people to surround myself with at this school. I felt that this year was so final in terms of everyone and everything that I surrounded myself with throughout high school. So many “Goodbyes” were had in these last few weeks, and there are still a few left to give.

I was accepted to UC Santa Cruz, UC Riverside, and UC Santa Barbara. However, I made the final decision to commit to UC Santa Cruz. I wanted to stay close to home, and it seemed like the best move.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dQmkILrEFsjr4gwGNWNGcOY8eDEq4z_k/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
American University, Massachusetts Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC

# data[].attributes.headline
American University, Massachusetts Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC

# data[].attributes.subject
American University, Massachusetts Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC

# data[].attributes.body
Hello, my name is William Torres. I would describe my high school journey as a rollercoaster; freshman to sophomore year I thought I had everything figured out and junior year came and wrecked everything. The only way I was able to dig myself out was due to my friends and community. One piece of advice is to rely on your friends and family, they will always be there to help. Some of my extracurriculars were being on the Puente Board for all 4 years, Tennis team/captain, TRIO Upward Bound, and Helping One Woman.I got accepted to Cal Poly Slo, UC Santa Cruz, Penn State University Park, Indiana Bloomington, etc. I will be attending American University.

https://youtu.be/k8bTW5dS5kk

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jIhjTX6PurI

Yo, my name is Ethan Hernandez, and I am graduating from Rancho San Juan HS, ℅ 2026. I come from a family where tenacity is woven into our history. Both of my parents left their homes(Mexico and Costa Rica) at a very young age and had to learn a whole new language, but they never gave up. My academic journey has been like their journey; Since I moved a lot, to different states and cities, I had to catch up many times, which made learning laborious, but I never gave up. This Fall, I will be attending the University of California, Merced, and majoring in Public Health. You are looking at a future Orthopedic Doctor or an Orthopedic Surgeon or both, why not.

# data[].attributes.location_name
University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

# data[].attributes.body
https://youtu.be/YpMxOKSWwrg?si=U6evz5p35XLFg_4R

Hello! My name is Guadalupe Jacobo Ramirez, I am graduating from Rancho San Juan High School class of 2026; my high school journey has been both challenging yet so rewarding! Throughout these past four years, I have dedicated myself to supporting and making a positive impact within my community, especially when it comes to deconstructing language barriers. While also staying focused on my education through rigorous AP, dual enrollment courses, and extracurricular activities (Girls Health in Girls’ Hands, CPTED, NHS, Japan, and Spanish club). I have also volunteered with the Migrant Program and other school related programs, to which I have contributed 500+ hours of community service. With the help and support of Mrs. Hale and my Puente teachers, I applied to 16 colleges: 5 UCs (UCD, UC Merced, UCB, UCSB and UCSC), 4 CSUs (Sacramento state, SJSU, Chico, and SDSU), 6 privates/out of state (USFCA, MSMU, University of Portland, Pace University, Saint Mary’s University, Stony Brook University, and Seton Hall University); I was accepted into all except SDSU. I also received scholarships and grants from the universities I applied to and the LULAC Scholarship. I am beyond blessed to go to UC Berkeley this fall, and majoring in psychology with a minor in public health in hopes of becoming a pediatrician in the future!

- I wish you all the best on your college journey and feel free to reach out anytime!

# data[].attributes.location_name
University of California San Diego, Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
University of California San Diego, Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
University of California San Diego, Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA

# data[].attributes.body
My high school journey has been a rigorous road but everything has come to an exciting ending. As a first generation student, I was unaware of many programs that were available, but I ended up finding my community with TRIO. They really guided me to the place where I am now. TRIO was the place that pushed me to achieve greater things and showed me that there were endless opportunities/possibilities that were awaiting me. During my time in high school I did Cheer from my sophomore to senior year, and joined various clubs like Girls health in Girls Hands, Heifer Project, and Japan club. I was accepted to CSU Chico, CSU Monterey Bay, CSU Fullerton, UC Santa Cruz, UC San Diego, UC Riverside, and UC Merced. Some scholarships that I received were the Lulac Scholarship (500$), Salinas Valley Japanese American Citizens Scholarship (300$), Burger King Scholarship (1,000$), Heifer Project Scholarship (500$), and the National Hispanic Organization of Real Estate Associates Scholarship (1,000$).

https://youtube.com/shorts/QKB4Y64jD5g

# data[].attributes.body
Hi! My name is Alex Garnica and I am part of the class of 2026 at Rancho San Juan High School. High school was not exactly a fun time for me. Though I did participate in extracurriculars (London Summer School in Classics, Mock Trial, NHS, YAGI, Culinary Club, Wonder Wood Ranch volunteering, etc), that was not at all my main focus. I was pushed to follow the footsteps of my older sister and began dual enrollment with the express purpose of accumulating enough college credit to graduate from a UC early.

Though this did allow me to explore my interests in foreign languages and international relations like I never would have been able to do at our school, it also gave me a tremendous workload that heavily impacted my life. And all my work made me all the more irrationally fearfully that it would all amount to nothing in terms of college acceptances.

But with a whole lot of time and help, it paid off. I not only got into my dream school, UC Berkeley, but a total of 30 colleges, many of which made me reconsider my first choice (Particularly UCLA, Amherst, Swarthmore, & Pomona). But on the way back from a college fly-in, I opened a fortune cookie that read (verbatim): "It is wise to follow your first choice." Though that really only cast aside my doubts for like a week, I still chose UC Berkeley and am happy to be a soon-to-be student pursuing a double major in Global Studies and Economics.

I am also super grateful for having been granted the MGA and LULAC scholarship awards. Honestly, I applied to both of these scholarships minutes before the deadline. So, it goes to show that you need to just apply and apply and apply; you are bound to get something.

Best of luck no matter what point in the process you are in. You absolutely got this!

# data[].attributes.body
My name is Angela Storm Pinon-Cruz and this is my legacy. I was involved in co-founding the Badminton Club and was one of the first members at Rancho San Juan’s Girl’s Health in Girl’s Health Club. I am proud to state that I was admitted into UCSC, a full ride to UCM, UCR, SFSU, Manhattan University with a $32,000 scholarship, UotP, and PSU with a $6,000 scholarship. I was also offered admissions to CP, Humboldt, GCU, and UNR. And, I will be receiving a VA tuition waiver due to my GI benefits. I will dearly miss my fellow friends and mentors and wish the best for them. Thank you.

https://youtu.be/2cFZPWaLiTY?si=-1iq64vjjkLDGRYH

# data[].attributes.location_name
California State University, Sacramento, Jed Smith Dr, Sacramento, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
California State University, Sacramento, Jed Smith Dr, Sacramento, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
California State University, Sacramento, Jed Smith Dr, Sacramento, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Hi! My name is Kelsey Hanamaikai-Silva, class of 2026!!! My highschool experience was the best i could ask for, I met a lot of cool people and created the best memories that i will carry with me for the rest of my life. I wasn't very involved until my sophomore year where I became one of the first members of the Girls Health in Girls Hands club at RSJ, being part of Girls Leadership Network, and also joining Filipino club. This school year was definitely one of the most challenging ones yet but it was all worth it at the end. Some of the schools I have been accepted to are Sacramento State University, CSUMB, California State University, Dominguez Hills, UC Merced and Riverside, Saint Mary's College of California, University of the Pacific, and University of Hawaii at Mānoa. This upcoming fall I will be attending Sacramento State University to pursue my journey to become a high school History teacher!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/12eXIuLkGmbk8w0Q-OTjyluS48XSZ-pEJ/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
California State University, Fresno, North Maple Avenue, Fresno, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
California State University, Fresno, North Maple Avenue, Fresno, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
California State University, Fresno, North Maple Avenue, Fresno, CA

# data[].attributes.body
My high school journey had its ups and downs but I always kept pushing myself and stayed focused on my future.I've been involved in programs like Puente which helped me grow academically and personally. High school taught me how to stay motivated even when things got stressful. I discovered that I want to work with animals in the future and on studying animal    science someday. I was accepted into Fresno State and Hartnell and I'm really proud of myself .Even though I didn't receive any scholarships, I'm still excited for what's next.

My Video

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=6df8db98b3&attid=0.1&permmsgid=msg-a:r6990778009338234367&th=19e1f8c7f51d6a04&view=att&disp=safe&realattid=19e1f8c0d3b4b774fd31&zw

# data[].attributes.location_name
Monterey Peninsula College, Fremont Street, Monterey, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
Monterey Peninsula College, Fremont Street, Monterey, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
Monterey Peninsula College, Fremont Street, Monterey, CA

# data[].attributes.body
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hKVbRF-4eo4fSSW5x6wCRpgaTweg_kgx/view?usp=sharing

My high school journey has been a rollercoaster. I took honors English and math starting my sophomore year and started taking AP classes my junior year and continued in AP classes and dual enrollment my senior year. I stayed involved in the community in many ways, starting in the summer before freshman year, which allowed me to earn over 300 community service hours. I was also a part of the track and field team since my freshmen year. I broke many school and meet records, including being the first athlete in Rancho history to place at CCS in my junior year. When applying to colleges I had the mindset of continuing my track career throughout college. I was accepted into four CSU’s and two UC’s as well as earned a scholarship for one of the CSU’s. After receiving my acceptances, I decided to commit to Hartnell and transfer after two years. However, during mid April I tore my ACL and Meniscus and two days later got an offer from Monterey Peninsula College (MPC) for track and field, even with my injury. After long consideration, I ended up committing to MPC. As of now, I hope to major in kinesiology and transfer after two years.

# data[].attributes.location_name
California State University, Monterey Bay, Campus Center, Seaside, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
California State University, Monterey Bay, Campus Center, Seaside, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
California State University, Monterey Bay, Campus Center, Seaside, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Hello, my name is Ruby Contreras-Melgoza and I am a part of Rancho San Juan’s class of 2026. My high school journey has been a bittersweet experience, from choosing the right set of friends to choosing the classes that best expressed who I was and having to keep up with everyone else. The Puente community and the friends I have kept along the way have truly helped me push through any difficulty I would come across and would put me back into the right place. The CSU’s I was accepted into were CSUMB (otter promise), Fresno State, and Cal Poly Humboldt. The UC's I was accepted into were UC Merced and UC Santa Cruz and I was also accepted into many more including privates. For most of the universities I applied to and got accepted into I received scholarships and grants. Now thanks to all the support from the community around me I have the ability to attend college full ride with a 6k refund check at CSUMB in hopes of majoring in Psychology.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10NWGjOPxHs-gCJcJyu2bzpPovbZCHtbK/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.body
Hi! My name is Ishana Patel, and I am a graduating senior and the co-valedictorian for the class of 2026. My high school experience has been transformative: these four years have pushed me but strengthened me, and I developed resilience when support flickered or blazed. It feels duplicitous to say that high school was undemanding–especially as a student who took 11 APs–but it was in these stressful moments that I learned more about myself, for example, how listening to Taylor Swift instrumentals helped me lock in for my relentless senior AP exams. Aside from academics, I wanted to articulate a presence on and offline, which is why I decided to create a YouTube channel to document my senior year. When I’m not editing videos or reading classical literature, I’m working alongside Superintendent Galvan with her Student Advisory Council, drafting policy and presenting to the board on increasing the enrollment for dual enrollment and AP classes across our district. I have been involved in various extracurriculars, setting school records as a varsity track athlete, serving as a student-panelist in Philadelphia for Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, and leading as this year’s Puente President.

There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to the college application process. Every draft, rewrite, and submission ultimately led me to acceptances across many prestigious public and private schools, including UCLA, NYU, early admission to UC Berkeley, and waitlists to three Ivy League schools, just to name a few. This fall, I will be attending UCLA and I hope to expand on my quintessential ability to transform environments into places where others can thrive, fostering my work on equity as a public policy major.

Finally, I am immensely grateful for the scholarships I was awarded through generous donors: the Gary Williams and Alicia Villanueve Scholarship, Burger King Scholar, Puente Statewide Leadership Award, and Quail Lodge MGA recipient.

Please reach out if you ever want to connect, or you can watch my videos: @notishanavlogs on YouTube :)

# data[].attributes.body
Hi my name is Delylah Magdaleno. My high school journey was eventful, I am grateful that throughout my high school years I was able to gain strong friendships with people who supported me through both the highs and lows. In high school I was involved in clubs like NHS, Interact, and the Puente Club, but looking back I wish I would have joined more clubs. I completed most of community service hours through programs like Ciclovia, La Cosecha, and Joven Nobles which I would recommend everyone to join not just for getting hours but rather because through all three programs I was able to be more involved with my community, advocate for my peers, and develop my identity as an individual. I was accepted to schools like UC Santa Barbara, UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, UC Davis, Boston College, Fordham University, and more. Finally, I was a recipient of the La Plaza Bakery Scholarship!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10RVPANwjT6KCbDggXIdLT798HAkb712a/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
Mount Saint Mary's University LA (Chalon Campus), Chalon Road, Los Angeles, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
Mount Saint Mary's University LA (Chalon Campus), Chalon Road, Los Angeles, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
Mount Saint Mary's University LA (Chalon Campus), Chalon Road, Los Angeles, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Hello! My name is Yuneydi Mesinas and I will be attending Mount Saint Mary’s University on the direct entry nursing track! I was part of the Blazer Marching Band for all four years of high school, where I moved my way up from having no experience in playing an instrument, to being in the drumline, to then becoming the first girl drum major at Rancho San Juan! Coming into high school, I was quiet and reserved, having zero idea that I would become the outspoken and confident person that I am now. Through getting involved in clubs and getting leadership roles such as resource manager, theater treasurer, and STEM vice president, I have gained valuable skills such as interpersonal, work ethic, and problem-solving skills. My success would not have been possible without the help of my teachers and my counselor who have helped me get into more than ten colleges, most notably Saint Mary’s College of California, University of San Francisco, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, and UC Santa Cruz. I have also received grants and certain school scholarships such as the President’s Award Scholarship at MSMU!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15oDOOtmQCTyv3wlV8nWvmmDzswHF5zRf/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Link https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ys71M4ngtFLg8Agh4C_FI8I3SZEbLgda/view?usp=sharing

Throughout high school I was a part of Interact club for 2 years and part of the student senate for a year. High school was fun at times but honestly nothing too special; senior year was by far the best year. I was accepted into the University of Oregon, Arizona State, Louisiana State, Dominican University of Ca., UC Riverside, Fresno State, CSU Fullerton, Cal Poly Humboldt, Northern Arizona University, and Manhattan University.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/vMjpYcRryRk

|Hi everyone! To those of you who don’t know me, my name is Kamila Camacho. I am from Rancho San Juan HS class of 2026. To say that my high school experience was miserable, would be wrong; even though I often stressed myself out with impending deadlines and passing my AP test. My high school experience has been very enjoyable filled with laughs, karaoke parties, and spontaneous studying. I did join quite a lot of clubs on campus, I was a part of the Puente Club, Robotics, NHS, and Health Explorers. I also did soccer for all 4 years. Outside of school I love to bake, go thrifting, and expand my vinyl record collection, I have also worked since my freshman year. I applied to over 20 schools and I was accepted into: UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, Drexel University, University of San Francisco, CSU San Jose, CSU San Francisco, CSU Fullerton, Santa Clara University, University of Portland, Seattle University, Mount St. Mary’s University, St. Mary's College of California, Emory College, Case Western Reserve University, and University of Washington. I had terrible financial aid and the only scholarships I received were from private institutions. I am attending UC Berkeley, majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology and planning to double major with public health. I will be pursuing a career in medical development or becoming a Physician Assistant.

I always love to help some fellow Rancho students so feel free to contact me, anytime. Mr. Williams will have my number or DM me on Instagram, my username is kamila_camacho_

# data[].attributes.location_name
University of California-Santa Barbara, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
University of California-Santa Barbara, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
University of California-Santa Barbara, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Hi my name is Marissa Sanchez class of 2026 from Rancho San Juan High school. My high school experience was something that in the moment I took for granted but now that it's over I wish I could go back and do SOME of it over again. I met my best of friends and hope our bond will remain strong after high school. Throughout high school I was involved in the Puente club, Interact club and NHS but I would definitely recommend joining more. I was accepted into UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, UC Davis, UC San Diego, CSU Long Beach, CSU Fullerton, University of Oregon, University of Hawaii Manoa, Saint Mary's College of California and Colorado State. I was awarded the Donna Zoller First Tee Scholarship.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ghi1qocMfRcSAcHxBmor1slg8QDvDO53/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.body
My name is Amanda Leyva and I’m a graduating senior from Rancho San Juan 2026. Going into high school I didn’t know anyone and it was hard for me to adapt to public school. My freshman year and sophomore year were very relaxed academically. I was an average student who got decent grades and was planning to attend community college. Because I was limiting myself to community college, I didn’t challenge myself academically to my fullest potential. It wasn’t until my junior year when I decided to take AP's and in my APLC class I realized I wanted to pursue higher education at a 4 year university. The summer going into senior year I built my extracurricular activities. I joined Ciclovia and YAGI thanks to Mr. Williams Summer College bridge which helped me a lot in the college admissions process. I managed to do everything in 2 years all by myself to get into college. Part of it was asking Mr. Williams for help which helped my writing a lot. I’m technically not a first generation college student but I felt like one the whole process. I am the first in my family to attend a 4 year college straight out of high school. I have pushed myself to succeed and have the confidence to be capable of anything academically now. I will be attending UC Irvine where I will major in Criminology and Law and potentially minor in Political Science. I want to attend law school and become an attorney in the future or something else related to law. I won the Lulac scholarship but I’m still waiting on more scholarships that haven’t come in yet. I am happy to attend UCI and grateful for everyone close to me that has supported me throughout this whole process.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PWeMWUsrKVPDyHTt_pNjPcFu4_Medy_I/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
California State University, Fullerton, North State College Boulevard, Fullerton, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Hello! My name is Chantel Molina- class of '2026. My High School experience was not as I had expected coming in my freshman year, but I definitely appreciated every one of these 4 years. I wasn't too involved until my Junior year when I began to have an idea of what I actually wanted to do post-High School and decided to challenge myself by taking 2 AP classes, joining clubs and 3 sports, including our school's very first girls flag football team! This year was a bit different for sure... in many aspects compared to previous years, but in the end i'm truly grateful for every experience! Schools I've been accepted to are the University of San Francisco, University of Hawaii Pacific, UC Santa Cruz, Seattle University, Manhattan University, Sonoma State, Sacramento State, and Cal State Fullerton. So far scholarships I've been awarded are all individual school grants. Next semester I will be attending Cal State Fullerton to pursue my journey of becoming a physical therapist!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NER24Q3NZNs08mQ0aMj3Dwi-BNBfgqiH/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Osp-Eki6Rdw

Hihi! My name is Michelle Duff and my high school journey has been BUSY and SO REWARDING! I feel like I have grown as a person, artist, friend, and student in so many ways. I put myself out there in more ways that I can name and left a positive mark on RSJ through my 3 year leadership in the Drama Llama Club as Head of Design, Costume, Prop, and Sound Design, through inspiring other entrepreneurs through my Art business Michelle’s Trinkets, my involvement in the Logistics committee of Ciclovia, and overall as a consistent scholar and friend. :) Now, I am heading off to UC Berkeley in the fall with scholarships and a support system that I am eternally grateful for!!!!

# data[].attributes.location_name
University of California San Diego, Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
University of California San Diego, Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
University of California San Diego, Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Hi! My name is Prarthana, and I am a graduating senior at RSJ' 26! Going into high school, I didn't know a single person and I felt very much like an outsider. When I joined Puente, I quickly found my community of friends that I have relied on for the past 4 years. The guidance and support I have received from my Puente teachers helped me believe in my potential as a student and have made me grow into a more confident person. The friends that I have made in high school have been my most favorite part of my journey. They have pushed me to succeed beyond what I thought was my potential, and I don't think I could have survived college application season without them. And I can't write this without thanking Mr. Williams and Ms. Henry for all they have taught me about life, but most important for believing in me and encouraging me to take risks when everyone else advised me to go the safe route. They have changed my relationship to reading and writing and I am forever grateful for the values they have instilled in me. I was encouraged by my peers to join a variety of school clubs, such as the Interact Club, Puente Club, Decathlon Club, and Tennis Club where I went on to serve board positions in each one. Outside of school, I spent majority of my Saturdays volunteering at the American Cancer Society Discovery Shop. Other activities I served key roles in include Ciclovia, La Cosecha, AIM Youth Mental Health, Girls WHO Code, and Digital Nest. Today, I have been accepted to schools such as, but not limited to, Northeastern University, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, UC Berkeley, and UC Irvine. I received 4 scholarships: BigFuture College Board Scholarship, Interact Rotary Scholarship, Gary Williams and Alicia Villanueva Scholarship, and The Peter Marsh Foundation Scholarship. In the fall, I will be attending UC San Diego as a data science major.

Thank you!

https://youtu.be/0CKjA3v9CT4?si=Z1-bpCsKeSCxxNKR

# data[].attributes.location_name
University of California, Davis, Shields Avenue, Davis, CA

# data[].attributes.body
https://drive.google.com/file/d/174lyCFw3ni4LMPoIDdFBQvACPMUkxLRM/view?usp=sharing

I would say my high school experience was both fun but also chaotic. I feel like I learned a lot from high school academically but also personally. I came into high school hoping to meet new people and have better friendships than in middle school. During my Freshman and Sophomore year I tried to expose myself to new activities and hobbies like sports and clubs. All four years I played volleyball, Freshman year I played soccer and Sophomore year I joined track. I also did travel volleyball from Freshman to Junior year. Through sports I met a lot of great people that I am still in contact with today. For school clubs I was a part of NHS, CSF and GHGH. I was also in the FFA program for all four years of high school. Freshman and Sophomore year were by far my funnest years in high school but once I got to Junior year school got a lot more serious for me and so was Senior year since I had to apply to colleges and scholarships. College wise, I got into UC Davis, Berkeley, Irvine, Riverside and Merced. For CSU’s I go into Cal Poly Slo, Pomona, Stanislaus and Chico. For scholarships, I applied to a lot but I received the LULAC, Bruce Church, Quail Golf Club, Women Pursuing Degrees in AG and the Mortensen scholarship.

# data[].attributes.location_name
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

# data[].attributes.headline
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

# data[].attributes.subject
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

# data[].attributes.body
Hello, my name is Jenny De La Cruz Robles! My high school journey has been steady academically, but in terms of my extracurricular involvement, I lacked the confidence to explore and put myself out there. It was in APLC with Ms. Henry where I found my voice, and generated impact in my involvement. I was a part of a variety of clubs on campus, including the Crochet Club and United States Academic Decathlon, which I am president and founder of, and was on the Varsity Girls Tennis Team/club. Outside the academic environment, I serve as a GLN ambassador for the GHGH Club, Salinas Valley Recycles Youth Council Commissioner, MCOE Mental Health Youth Council founder, a hospital volunteer, and more. I was accepted to 23 colleges. Some include: UCLA, UC Berkeley, UCI Nursing, UCSD, WashU, UMich, Pomona College, Washington and Lee, Bowdoin, and Williams College. I will be attending UPenn, in the college of arts and sciences, on the pre-med track! I am a recipient of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation Youth Awards, the Burger King Scholarship, SVMH Volunteer Scholarship, EKLS MVS, GHGH, HSF, and the Gary Williams and Alicia Villanueva Scholarship.

https://youtu.be/9ZBG1z9I4JY?si=mlTxCPAwkeeM4umu

# data[].attributes.location_name
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Hi my name is Lorett Ramos I am graduating from Rancho San Juan High School class of 2026. I come from a family that has always worked hard to achieve their goals and create better opportunities for themselves and also for their children's future. Because of them I learned that anything you truly dedicate yourself  to can be accomplished no matter how long it takes. My journey has been a bit rocky, especially my senior year.  I wasn't involved in AP classes until my senior year or any types of clubs. I never realized the importance of these extra academic courses until I began my application for CSU and UC’s. Aside from that I always play sports throughout High School, I still had decent grades and good community service. As I prepare myself for the next chapter this fall I will be attending hartnell college for 2 years then I will be transferring into a med school to become a radiologist technician.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CjqpppjaOTe7ZtgU3dZutV3BGc_DD6qs/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
UC Berkeley School of Law, Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
UC Berkeley School of Law, Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
UC Berkeley School of Law, Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA

# data[].attributes.body
https://youtube.com/shorts/Mbi-O3Cy80w?si=g1PKNFJUnBhuPEjX

My name is Ivan Avila, Class of RSJ 2026. I will be attending UC Berkeley and will be majoring in Political Science & Public Health as a Regents Scholar ($56K). Scholarships I received were UCI Regents (24k), UMass Chancellor (64k), Interact Club ($1,500), LULAC ($500) & CSWS ($500). My High School Journey has been both challenging and rewarding. High School was a roller coaster having its highs and lows. I stepped into the pressure of feeling like I had to succeed since my Mom was the AP Spanish Teacher. I felt like I knew where I was going before my freshman year, Chico State since my mom went there and I wanted to become a Teacher. It was not until I walked into my 1st period with Ms Henry and I found my community in Puente that I found my passion in Public Health & Political Science through passion projects and through opportunities that I never thought were possible like going to Philadelphia and speaking in front of 60 university professors about my experiences. I was part of the Interact Club (4 Years), NHS (3 Years), & Puente Club. I was a part of 4 sports: Cross Country (3 years), Basketball (1 year), Track (1 year), & Tennis (1 year). I took 10 AP Courses, but the highlights were always kicking it with my friends. The reason I was able to balance challenging academics, sports and still be able to kick it with friends was because I found that I strived with others. The balance came from my mental health making sure I was always calm and poised when life got challenging. I had a support system that helped me thrive thanks to my Puente cohort of 2026 and Ms. Henry/Mr. Williams. I was accepted to UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, NYU, Michigan University, Santa Clara, Occidental, Amherst College, UMass, University of Washington, UCSD, UCD, UCSC, UCM, UCR, SJSU, SFSU, CSUF, Saint Mary’s, & George Fox University. Good Luck in the future and if you have any questions on the process or about college ask Williams to connect you to me or any other students.

# data[].attributes.location_name
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.body
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1miPZKV70lWf6AU38yZB6kTyGDndbpJUG/view?usp=sharing

Hello, my name is Alexa Zamudio, my high school journey has not been linear. At the beginning I was like most, caring enough to please my parents, but not trying to “overachieve”. During sophomore and junior year I realized how much more important it was to be part of clubs, help out/attend school events or functions, and just be active in general. I joined the tennis team/club and joined the link crew. I saw how I can create impact and even gain community service while having fun. I was accepted to Cal State Monterey Bay, Cal State Dominguez Hills, Chico State, and San Jose State. I was also accepted into UC Santa Cruz & UC Riverside. The whole college application process was tedious but because of the help available from Mr. Williams it didn’t feel hard at all. Now looking at my options, I am attending Hartnell College and plan to transfer to a UC.

# data[].attributes.location_name
University of California, Riverside, University Avenue, Riverside, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
University of California, Riverside, University Avenue, Riverside, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
University of California, Riverside, University Avenue, Riverside, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Throughout my high school journey I tried my best in my classes and took a couple AP courses my Sophomore and Senior year. I wasn't too involved throughout high school but I played football at the ranch for 2 years and loved my time there despite having losing seasons. I will be studying political science in hopes of being a lawyer some day. I was accepted into a small variety of schools such as San Jose State, Fullerton State, Cal State LA, UC Merced, UC Santa Cruz, and UC Riverside (duh) and received the BK scholarship of $1k along with very generous aid while I wait for HSF to release, all thanks to Mr. Williams.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iMOtB7UPobKpdg7cuVNoslzi6JigKU9f/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.body
My high school journey has been filled with unforgettable memories and meaningful experiences. I built close friendships that I will cherish forever, while also learning valuable lessons from friendships that changed over time. With each passing year, I grew wiser, matured academically, and discovered the importance of perseverance and personal growth.I played on the soccer team for two years and the girls’ flag football team during my final two years. I also participated in FFA and dedicated time volunteering in the Salinas community. These experiences helped shape me into a more confident, responsible, and hardworking person.I am honored to have been accepted to Chico State, California State University Monterey Bay, Fresno State, California State University Los Angeles, and Hartnell College. Scholarships and Grants I received were Pell Grant, Middle Income Scholarship, Cal Grant, and the SUHSD Transportation scholarship. As I prepare for this next chapter, I look forward to continuing my education, pursuing my goals, and making my family proud.

My high school journey has been filled with unforgettable memories and meaningful experiences. Along the way, I built close friendships that I will cherish forever, while also learning valuable lessons from friendships that changed over time. With each passing year, I grew wiser, matured academically, and discovered the importance of perseverance and personal growth.I played on the soccer team for two years and the girls’ flag football team during my final two years. I also participated in FFA and dedicated time volunteering in the Salinas community. These experiences helped shape me into a more confident, responsible, and hardworking person.I am honored to have been accepted to California State University, Chico, California State University, Monterey Bay, California State University, Fresno, California State University, Los Angeles, and Hartnell College. Scholarships and Grants I received were Pell Grant, Middle Income Scholarship, Cal Grant, and the SUHSD Transportation scholarship.As I prepare for this next chapter, I look forward to continuing my education, pursuing my goals, and making my family and community proud.

https://youtube.com/shorts/JPromzoRCxw?si=_5SWeOVnxf2UFz8M

# data[].attributes.location_name
University of the Pacific, Pacific Avenue, Stockton, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
University of the Pacific, Pacific Avenue, Stockton, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
University of the Pacific, Pacific Avenue, Stockton, CA

# data[].attributes.body
High school was a roller coaster, in all aspects. From homework all nighters and Spanish honor society meetings, to comedic class time, practices, and heartbreaking interactions. Overall, it was an experience that's recommendable. Although I wasn't as involved as I would've liked to be, I think an important part to consider is the impression and impact that was left. Through my teamwork and contribution skills in numerous classes, I was able to create lasting relationships with classmates and teachers who view me as a dependable and committed student. And with their support and guidance, I was able to keep moving forward, getting accepted to the many schools such as UCSC, UCR, UCD, UofP, SMC, USF, MSMU, Humboldt, Chico, SF state, etc. And with critical thinking and deciding, this is where I will continue on with my academic and career journey!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ElUO0iVkLIAgKQlpcPIfUqrKoPaRBOId/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
Hartnell College, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA

# data[].attributes.body
My experience at the beginning of freshman year at Rancho San Juan High School started off slow. As the year went by, I ended up meeting people that I thought were cool and ended up joining their friend group. I have stuck with them from the very beginning and they are what keep me pushing forward. I used to be awkward and quiet but they helped me develop as a person. I have dabbled a bit into school life such as with Cross Country along with the Drama Llamas club in my senior year. I was also a part of programs like AVID and FFA. Overall, it was a pretty good experience and I have no regrets. I will most likely be going to CSU Long Beach after Hartnell in order to pursue being an accountant.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kNK5yFKZVDJAwy1z7JOev32nQdN5xHHG/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
University of Portland, North Willamette Boulevard, Portland, OR

# data[].attributes.headline
University of Portland, North Willamette Boulevard, Portland, OR

# data[].attributes.subject
University of Portland, North Willamette Boulevard, Portland, OR

# data[].attributes.body
Hi, my name is Austin Valdez and my journey at Rancho San Juan has been full of challenges and opportunities, pushing myself to discover my passion in life within the medical field. I am satisfied with my path, and high school taught me numerous lessons. I have been involved in NHS, Interact, Puente, Health Explorers, and helped co-create the K-Pop Club. I was accepted to 12 universities: UCI, UCSB, USC, UP, USF, UH Mānoa, SMC, SJSU SCU, CSUF, CLU, and CDU. The only scholarships I’ve won were college scholarships: UCI Regents ($24,000), USF ($120,000+), and UP ($140,000+).

Video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_x5anpH3k82r9ILvcbdBoiwRp7joLo2f/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA

# data[].attributes.body
My high school journey, specifically senior year, has been filled with the highest highs and the lowest lows (not as bad as middle school), with many regrets and unforgettable memories. Since my freshman year, I’ve known I wanted to go to college and leave my mark on our brand new high school. Most notably, my greatest accomplishments have been within the Filipino Club, joining my freshman year to become the president and becoming “the face” of the Filipino community at Rancho. Much of my high school experience has been navigating my identity, of course, joining the Filipino Club and the Filipino Youth Community of Salinas, but also basing my AP: WE Service Project on these experiences; through this, I have been on multiple panels with Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, even traveling to Philadelphia to speak with her, my peers, and the PEDC about my experience with a Culturally Relevant and Sustaining Education with Ms. Henry and Mr. Williams. Aside from the Filipino Club, I have been co-captain of the RSJ Girls’ Tennis team for ¾ years, while being media manager for two years and vice president for one year for the Girls’ Tennis Club. I played Girls’ Basketball for three years, I was a part of the United States Academic Decathlon (being treasurer for my senior year), I was in the National Honors’ Society, Girls’ Health in Girls’ Hands, and La Cosecha and Ciclovia for two years. Beyond my extracurriculars, I have been an active scholar, taking AP European History, AP Biology, AP Language and Comp, AP Chemistry, AP Literature and Comp, Dual-Enrollment Pre-Calc/Trig, and Dual-Enrollment Dental Assisting! My ROP course has provided me with much clarity into my future profession, in which I competed at the SkillsUSA State Competition for Dental Assisting and won a Silver Medal! All of this hard work (and after school help with Mr. Williams) got me accepted into four CSUs (SDSU, SJSU, CSULB, CSUMB), six UCs (Merced, Santa Cruz, Riverside, Santa Barbara CCS Biology, Davis, and Irvine), and six OOS/Privates (University of the Pacific’s Pre-Dental Advantage, University of Washington, Seattle, University of San Francisco, University of Nevada, Reno, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and University of Rochester). I was waitlisted at Case Western Reserve University, Haverford College, Northeastern University, and University of San Diego. I received the Gary Williams and Alicia Villanueva scholarship of $250. Without the constant support and encouragement of my best friends, I would not have made it to this point. I have decided to commit to the University of California, Irvine (Go Anteaters!) as a Public Health Sciences major, hopefully to continue my journey into dental school to become a pediatric dentist!

# data[].attributes.location_name
University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA

# data[].attributes.body
My high school journey has been very hectic but I overall enjoyed the new experiences and opportunities. During my freshman and sophomore year, I was taking as many challenging courses we were permitted to take as underclassmen, including Hartnell dual enrollment and summer classes. I became a member of the TRIO Upward Bound program, dedicated to helping first generation and low income students achieve higher education. My junior and senior year, I took even more challenging classes, mainly AP’s, where I excelled and sometimes even struggled. I did cheer for the past two years, and was a part of many clubs, Statistics, Girls Health in Girls Hands, California Scholarship Federation, and K-POP club, which I co-founded. I have also  been helping and giving back to my community throughout my high school journey. I am currently a part of the Superintendent Student Advisory Council.  I was accepted into 4 UC’s, Santa Cruz, Irvine, Merced, and Riverside. I was accepted into 3 CSU’s, Fullerton, San Jose, and San Diego. I am committed to UC Irvine and on the path to become a lawyer.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mgahMZusYC2zfpOBWbmBH58IeDyDki5g/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
California State University, Fresno, North Maple Avenue, Fresno, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
California State University, Fresno, North Maple Avenue, Fresno, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
California State University, Fresno, North Maple Avenue, Fresno, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Hello My name is Isaac, And I am Graduating from Rancho San Juan High School. My journey was somewhat uneventful part of that was my fault because I didn't really participate in anything but when I did participate in events I would have a blast. I liked volunteering with my friends and the puente program even though I didn't go to every event. With the help of puente I was able to get accepted to 10 colleges and before I came into this class I thought I would only get into one. I have applied to a couple more scholarships this past month but I only got one a 1000 dollar scholarship which I'm thankful I received.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rotUJEQXbCqqobBw9wPQg19YUcnWEzKu/view?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.location_name
University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA

# data[].attributes.headline
University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA

# data[].attributes.body
My high school journey was interesting. I was most notably a part of Filipino Club, Spanish NHS, Decathlon, and the Puente College Readiness Committee. I took AP Chemistry (6/10), AP Spanish Literature (10/10), AP English Language (10/10), AP English Literature (10/10), AP Spanish Language (8/10), AP Calculus (8/10), and AP Biology (7/10). I was accepted into CSU Fullerton, CSUMB, SDSU, Cal Poly Slo and Pomona; UC Davis, Riverside, Santa Cruz, Merced, and Irvine. My notable community involvement was at the Natividad Hospital as a volunteer. They have many ways to get involved in the community.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WIhnvCmsSCK-Zie4izaBHRllsVM4YSLd/view?usp=sharing