2024 Alexx Flores Opportunity Scholars
We are excited to announce our fourth class of scholarship recipients! Each member of this year’s Opportunity Scholars cohort displays grit and determination and has managed to gain acceptance into some of the best public and private colleges in the state, despite tremendous challenges. The acceptance rate for this year’s application was just under 4%.
Tawnia Flores
Tawnia Flores is a dedicated and hardworking student who graduated from James A. Garfield High School. She will be attending Occidental College, where she plans to major in Kinesiology. Tawnia's passions include helping others, which is reflected in her roles as a catechist teacher and a tutor. Her commitment to her church and her dedication to tutoring children highlight her desire to make a positive impact in her community. Her interest in Kinesiology stems from a desire to learn more about the human body, a passion inspired by the passing of her father. Tawnia's commitment to academic excellence and her personal experiences drive her ambition to make a meaningful impact in the field of physical therapy. One of her goals in college is to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to become a compassionate and effective physical therapist.
Paige Chavez
Paige Chavez graduated from Santa Fe High school, and will attend Cal State University, Fullerton in the fall majoring in criminal justice. During her time at Santa Fe, she was involved in extracurriculars such as SF cheer, Link Crew and AVID. She is a first generation college student, working a part-time job to help with her impending college expenses and most importantly to help support her family. She was diagnosed with generalized anxiety right before her senior year. With little to no motivation she was truly struggling in both her personal and academic life. She realized she could either let her constant battle with mental health tear her apart, or take it as an opportunity to grow. Exposure to abuse has directed her to want to pursue a career in law enforcement to be able to stop this from occurring in other children's lives. The experiences she went through as a child changed her perspective on life by teaching her that her past does not determine her future or limit her potential to succeed.
Yaretzi Hernandez
Yaretzi Hernandez will graduate as part of Downey High School's Class of 2024. She plans to go to the University of California, Santa Barbara as a Political Science major. She also plans to pursue her love of theatre, specifically stage management, as a double major. Through the financial burdens, health issues, the stress of academics, work, and everything in between, Yaretzi will be a first generation college student, a long-life dream of hers. Her family has made numerous sacrifices to get her where she is and continually support her dreams of becoming a lawyer. Wherever her life takes her, she plans to always give back to her family and her community and is eternally grateful for the support she has received from the loved ones in her life