Academic Connections

It was a Saturday morning when my informative family told me to check my Yahoo e-mail. As I clicked, I read summer opportunity program in bold words, sent from Travis Kemntiz, an Instructor from Ocean Discover Institute.

Never would I imagine receiving this e-mail.

I read more and as I scrolled down, the charge for the program at UCSD Academic Connections was 3,500. My eyes opened wide. Immediately I felt like exiting the page. My first thought was my parents not being able to pay.

That same moment, I called Travis and he said, “Everything is paid, I just need you to fill out the application and send it A.S.A.P to Academic Connections. You’ve earned it.”

When I told my parents about this scholarship, they were the happiest parents on earth. Not only they were proud but also knowing that their youngest daughter was attending one of the top ten universities of California for free was what kept them with a smile on their face.

Personally, I was totally shocked. Later, Travis informed me that every year, ODI selects one student and sends them to UCSD to take a course and everything is paid.

ODI is a science program that deals with youth and helps them through school. It has helped me as a high school student to keep my grades up and find opportunities that will help me succeed in life.

I have been working hard ever since I began freshman year at Herbert Hoover High School. This school has meant a lot to me because teachers and councilors help students find opportunities. My grades have always been between a 3.5 to a 4.0 GPA. It feels sweet to get a reward like the one I received for my high achievement.

Back in Mexico, my dad would wake up early in the morning to work in the field instead of going school. He couldn’t afford to have an education. He didn’t have the money to pay for books and materials needed. Now, I’m taking good advantage of the education he never had. And this is why he is so proud of me.

“You got it all here Isabel,” he said. “You are a very lucky girl that gets this education for free. Take advantage and get the highest grades as you can. If I were in your place, I would be just like you because good grades are what will help you now and in the future. Be somebody in life. Do something good that I couldn’t when I was your age.”

Being at UCSD learning new different things has made me a smarter person. I selected the class “Writing and Reporting the News.” This class has been one of the most helpful courses I’ve taken, including my teachers Sam and Erin. My teachers would always find a way to make writing and reporting interesting. At first, when I would hear about news I would say, “boring.”

But live news and reporting kept me taking good notes to prepare for the news writing and I found out it was fascinating. Some of the most fun things I did were the press conferences. A bunch of crazy characters came to our class and pretended a lot of crimes had happened to them. As we asked them questions we became reporters.

Always work hard and have faith that good things will come. Be prepared for good opportunities and be amazed when they come to you just like they came to me.

-Isabel Herrera (: