Violet McNally believes in connection. A former Student Ambassador to the City of San Mateo’s sister city of Tokonoya, Japan, Violet knows that building mutual understanding across difference is the best way to bring about a more peaceful world. Her commitment to this belief inspired her to start a visual pen pal program after her visit to Japan, continuing to build connections between her peers and those she …
Stephanie Robles Angel breaks barriers. Despite not being fluent in English until third grade, Stephanie is thriving in Honors English, has received recognition from AVID every school year for her high GPA, and is pursuing a challenging IB course load. She manages to accomplish all of this while working with a local theater company, doing everything from managing technical …
Stephanie Jimenez Tellez knows the value of community. A self-motivated student and athlete, Stephanie has helped build a successful basketball team, builds learning communities to better understand difficult material, and builds bridges between teachers and parents by serving as a Spanish/English translator. She places the success of the group first—her basketball coach describes her as someone who is always willing to make sacrifices for …
Rhiannon Labonte believes deeply in the transformative power of education. After an extended period of time out of school, Rhiannon recommitted to completing her GRE and is hungry for more. She envisions a bachelor’s degree, professional certificates, licensure, and a lifelong journey of continuous learning as an essential part of her future. A former foster youth, Rhiannon feels deeply proud of how far she …
Paola Vazquez Hernandez knows how to translate her ideas into beautiful works of art. Already an accomplished artist with school beautification projects under her belt, Paola realized she could turn her passion into a lifelong career when she interned with the South Coast Artist Alliance. The organization was so impressed with her work that they featured her at their Pescadero Arts and …
Natalie Siu knows the value of believing in herself. She has achieved impressive things—including winning a Gold Presidential Volunteer Service Award for over 200 hours of community service and maintaining a 4.0 GPA. However, she knows that the most important thing she has achieved thus far in her life is learning her own self-worth. Natalie has learned …
Monserrat Martinez-Marin does not believe in doing things halfway. As a junior, she was nominated by her teachers and selected for the Rensselaer Medal, a premier merit scholarship awarded to one junior at each participating school for outstanding performance in math and science. The same year, she received more awards than anyone else in the school, for both academics and sports, ultimately …
Mariel Gutierrez Orozco is a person of many talents. A junior at Woodside High School, Mariel excels in basketball, lacrosse, AP classes, mental health advocacy, and volunteer work with young children. She has been on the honor list consistently since middle school and, after studying French for only a few years, is already nearly trilingual. Mariel currently serves her school community as …
Maria Ceron Tapia’s resiliency and compassion have made her into a strong, caring member of her community. A former foster youth, Maria attended fourteen different high schools before graduating in 2017, an experience that taught her how to persevere in the face of overwhelming odds. She is dedicated to helping other youth persist through difficult experiences, which she accomplishes by serving as a member …
Maria Casique never seems to shy away from a challenge. When she fell behind in school due to a sudden hospitalization, Maria educated herself. When she realized that peers in similar situations also needed support, she opened a tutoring center at her school. When she saw an opportunity to help lead the Redwood City Teen Advisory Board, she became …
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