Youth Success Stories

This could be you!

Jessica Allen is a high school senior at Woodside High School and will be graduating this June. She is described by her teachers to be a mature, adaptable, strong-willed, determined young woman.  Jessica has worked hard to overcome her physical and speech challenges.  Jessica is highly involved in extra curricular activities at her school. She has been a member of Woodside’s Safe School Ambassadors program as well as the Students Offering Support program.  She has worked at a doctor’s office and as an Elections officer for the County of San Mateo. In addition, Jessica has also volunteered for Redwood City PAL’s basketball team and the Pop Warner football league for youth. She plans to major in Special Education at Cal State University Fresno. Jessica’s career goal is to open a non-profit summer camp for kids ages of 5-16 yrs old with disabilities, where they can learn to become self-independent.

 

Maribel Guizar  is a senior at Woodside High school.  She comes from a large family of nine with her father as the sole provider.  As the oldest of seven children , she is constantly relied upon to assist with childcare responsibilities.   Maribel has recently enrolled in the Business Technology Academy and hopes to learn more about running a business to pursue her dreams for a career in cosmetology.  Maribel has been an active volunteer for the Heart Beat Dance Academy in Belmont and Hair International Hair Salon in Palo Alto and plans to go to cosmetology school.

 

Rosa E Torres Ortez is a past scholarship recipient of the Al Teglia Jobs for Youth Endowment Fund.  Currently, Rosa is attending Canada College and studying Digital Graphic Design. Rosa had a difficult transition when she immigrated to the United  States from El Salvador at the age of 13 years old. She didn’t speak much English and her living situation was unstable.  She often moved from place to place living with several relatives.  Rosa works part-time after school to help with her finances at school and at home.  She plans to transfer to a four year university in the next semester and obtain a Bachelors degree in Digital Graphic Design.

 

Sandra Lopez is a junior attending Woodside High school. Sandra has been able to maintain good grades throughout her years in high school while still being an active volunteer for the (Kids in Preparation) KIP program at the Redwood City Public library. Not only does she volunteer in her spare time but she also has been an active student in school by joining multiple clubs and participating in after school activities. Sandra comes from a family of four where both of her parents have minimum wage paying jobs so only basic necessities is affordable. She plans to pursue a career as an Obstetrician/Gynecologist.

 

Diana Correa is a student attending Half Moon Bay High School and will be the first in her family to go to college.  Diana experienced many family hardships at an early age that helped her decide on a career path in becoming a nurse. After an unexpected death in the family, she spent most of her time in the hospital visiting family members.  She became inspired by a nurse at the hospital who went above and beyond to assist the family.  After another family hardship when her father became ill, Diana’s mother, brother and herself found jobs to assist with the family’s finances as well as taking turns to care for her ill father.   Besides coping with her family hardship, Diana has been able to excel in school while working part-time as a tutor and participating in class Leadership activities. 

 

Claudia De La Cruz is currently a junior attending Sequoia High School. Claudia lives with her mom, three sisters, and a cousin in a two-bedroom duplex in Redwood City. Due to her mother’s health issues, Claudia and her sisters have many responsibilities outside of school to help with the family.  Despite the family’s economic situation, Claudia maintains good grades at school. Claudia is currently in the Health Academy at Sequoia High school and has found a passion to become a Registered Nurse.  She keeps herself busy by volunteering in the community such as book fairs, tutoring, and church activities.  Today, you’ll find Claudia volunteering at the homework center of the Boys and Girls Club in Redwood City. 

 

 

Magnolia (Maggie) Salinas is a student currently attending Woodside High School and will be the first in her family to attend college. Maggie comes from a family of six that had to adjust to a new world with a new language. At a young age, Maggie  had a difficult time learning the English language as the whole family spoke only Spanish. Maggie adapted to learning in English by studying and reading more as she got older.  When she got to high school, she excelled in her classes and learned to speak Mandarin.  Maggie is the vice president of her French club in school.  In her spare time, Magnolia volunteers at the Redwood City Public Library and at Woodside High School.  She also participates in the BUILD program and the Green Academy program to help her succeed in college. Magnolia’s career goal is to become a doctor.

 

 

Griselda Cabrera is a senior currently attending Capuchino High school and will the first in her immediate family to attend college.  Griselda comes from a family of immigrants who came to the United States for better opportunities. At a young age, Griselda became ill that took a toll on her social and academic life.  As treatment began for her illness, Griselda made her way back to school and maintained honor roll status throughout high school.  Griselda is also very active in extracurricular activities such as the Leadership Training class, she’s a member of the California Scholarship Federation,  and has held four Associated Student Body Government positions.  Besides her school work, she has also volunteered her time with the Jobs for Youth program in Daly City. Griselda plans to major in political science and aspires to become a lawyer or a politician.

 

 

 

Jennifer Contreras is currently a freshman at Cañada College and is the first in her family to graduate from high school and attend college. She came from a family of four with only her father to provide for the family while her mother stayed home to care for the children.  Through the years, Jennifer has always played an active role in the community and in school.  She volunteered at her local church, school, the Children’s Fund program, and at the Redwood City Jobs for youth office.  Today, she is a recreational assistant at the Redwood City Boys and Girls club. Jennifer is interested in pursuing a degree in nursing.

 

Lilia Cruz – Garcia struggled in her younger years as a former foster youth when she was separated from her family.  After her younger brother passed in 2007, Lilia was pushed into depression. Luckily, Lilia had a great support system from her workers and mentors that she was able to move on.  Her story was published in the San Mateo Mercury News to share her story and inspire others.  Lilia volunteered as a recruiter for foster parents and participated in the Guardian Scholar program at San Francisco State University.  Lilia also interned for the County of San Mateo for two summers and currently works for Youth and Family Enrichment Services.  She is a recent mother and working towards a Bachelors Degree in social work.

 

Sefora Rios comes from a large family of nine in Redwood City.  She’ll be the first to attend college after graduating from Sequoia high School in June. At the age of 12 , Sefora quickly matured to help care for her father who was diagnosed with cancer.  Sadly, when her father passed, her mother and siblings relied on each other for financial assistance.  Sefora worked as an intern for Kaiser Permanente last year and is currently working part-time at Jigsaw Java in Redwood City.  With her experience in caring for her father and working at Kaiser, Sefora plans on becoming a nurse.

 

Karina Zapata is currently a senior attending Woodside High school.  At the age of 12, Karina and her family experienced much difficulty when she lost two family members in the same year. Her older sister went missing and her father, who was the sole provider for the family, was deported back to Mexico.  Although it was a difficult time for the family,  Karina’s mother was able to find a job to pay for the family’s expenses while Karina had to care for her younger sister.  Karina has been able to maintain a high GPA and has received awards as well as being recognized by Congress for her community service awards.  She is part of the Business academy at school and participates in College Track, a program in East Palo Alto which helps students prepare for college.  Karina will be the first in her family to graduate high school and attend college. Karina’s career goal is to become an immigration Lawyer to help the under-represented.

 

Xacil Vazquez comes from a large family of eight in Redwood City.  Xacil was the first in her family to graduate high school and the first to attend college.  She currently attends San Francisco State University and is interested in majoring in social policy. During her early teen years, Xacil missed many days of school due to her illness.   She was in and out of the hospital for treatment.  Fortunately, Xacil recovered very quickly from her illness and continued to be active in her community.  She volunteered many hours at Project READ, Sequoia Hospital, San Carlos Food Bank, and Youth and Family Enrichment Services.  Last summer, she worked as an office assistant for All State in Redwood City and now volunteers as an interpreter for the Bar Association of San Francisco.

 

 

Erica Balderrama will be graduating from Menlo-Atherton High School in June 2011. She was raised by her aunt since birth and was later diagnosed with a learning disability at 9 years old.   Despite her challenges, Erica excelled in all her classes and maintained a high GPA throughout high school and made it to the honor roll and dean’s list. In her spare time, Erica volunteers at California Coastal Clean up and Menlo Atherton’s Best Buddies club. Last summer, she was awarded the John Davidson research award from UC Santa Barbara .  Erica plans to attend a four-year University and major in Art Therapy. 

 

Sonya Chaudhry  experienced a difficult time at a young age when she entered the Foster Care System at age 15. She lived in several group homes for three years until she was accepted to the Transitional Housing Placement Program (THHP) through the Independent Living Program of San Mateo County. Sonya has been very active in the youth community.    She served as President of the San Mateo Youth Commission and sat on the Peninsula Partnership Leadership Council. Sonya was awarded the Young Woman of Excellence Award after she helped write a Children’s Bill of Rights that was later inducted by the California State Legislature as a California resolution.   Sonya currently attends Stanford University majoring in psychology and wants to pursue a Master’s Degree in Social work. 

 

Elizabeth Martinson is a senior at Woodside High School and will be graduating in June. Elizabeth has always excelled in her academics throughout high school.  However, her personal experience at home is where she had trouble coping.  When her father was diagnosed with bipolar, her world at home fell apart that quickly changed her family’s lifestyle.  Elizabeth started working at the age of 16 years old.  She worked as an intern for Kaiser Permanente, where she gained valuable work experience and knowledge in the medical field.   Elizabeth is also very active in her community volunteering to clean up parks and working at a San Carlos church food festival. She plans to attend University of Davis and become a Gynecologist. 

 

Verenise Zarco is a senior at El Camino High School and plans to graduate this June. Verenise comes from a family of six with her father as the sole provider for the family.  Verenise will be the first in her family to attend college in the fall and plans to become a Phlebotomy Technician.  She has completed EKG training through the San Mateo County Regional Occupational Program and has volunteered at the Pacific Occupational Center in South San Francisco.

 

Ritika Jain was a former foster youth from Daly City.  She led a difficult life during her teenage years when she was forced into foster care placement. Ritika is a freshman at UC Riverside and pursuing a degree in Biology.   She is the first in her family to attend college.  Despite her personal issues, she was able to excel in school, sports, and work.  In her spare time, Ritika volunteered at the San Bruno Public Library and San Bruno Skilled Nursing Hospital.  She has also, worked at the Student Conservation Association and Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.  Ritika is currently majoring in Biology and is interested in a career in the medical field.

 

Jasmine Elmiari is a senior at Cappuccino high school and will be graduating in June with a 4.3 GPA. Jasmine is a very responsible, determined, and passionate individual. She is heavily involved in the community and was recently elected the Secretary of the San Mateo County Youth Commission.  In addition, she has volunteered for San Mateo County’s Peninsula Conflict Resolution where she participated in a county-wide event that brought awareness about youth against community violence. In addition to her community activities, she participates in several different sports every year and cares for her autistic brother at home. Jasmine also works part-time at Kumon as a reading teacher. She plans to attend UC Berkeley and has a career goal of becoming a Pharmacist.

 

Sadiya Zubair has always been very active in school as the school newspaper’s editor, participates in the yearbook committee, teacher’s assistant, and acts as the emcee for the school’s monthly show.  On top of her extra curricular activities, she maintains a 3.67 GPA and has heavy family responsibilities at home.  After her father recently suffered a major heart attack, Sadiya has been the major caretaker of her younger siblings so her mother can work two jobs to provide for the family.  Sadiya is well liked by her peers, responsible, and respectable to others.  She has received a number of awards at school and volunteers in her community during her spare time. Sadiya will be attending Notre Dame de Namur University in the fall and plans to be a pediatrician.