Student of Month
January Senior 2022
Student Standout January: Ashley Avalos
Your student standout for the month of JANUARY is the one and only… *drum roll* … Ashley Avalos!
Ashley Avalos is an inquisitive, resilient, and analytical Roadrunner scholar. Her family is one of her greatest motivators; she is grateful for the sacrifices that her parents made to make sure that she and her sisters have the opportunities that they did not have. Ashley shared that she aspires to pursue higher education, especially since her parents did not have the opportunity to do so. Most importantly, Ashley is determined to focus her studies in an area that she enjoys: History. Coming from a low-income family, Ashley is determined to assist her family financially and help break the poverty cycle. After all, our youth are the makers and the breakers of tomorrow and Miss Avalos is a prime example of that.
One of Ashley’s greatest struggles in her educational career includes language barriers. When she was younger, she was enrolled in Speech classes to help her with pronunciation. Luckily, with the support of her family and teachers, she was able to improve over time. Ashley is the youngest of four daughters, and while some may think that everything is easier for the youngest child, Ashley begs to differ. While it has been difficult, Ashley has learned to consider different viewpoints through discussions with her sisters. Finding the best solution for any dispute is something she learned along the way.
Miss Avalos is part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) program and is a candidate for the IB diploma. Although the IB Program is the most rigorous academic path offered at Saddleback High School, Ashley was not fazed and took on the challenge. She is proud to share that she earned the Certificate of Achievement for her 9th grade history class and 10th grade English class. Throughout her four years of high school, Ashley has been part of the Honor Roll which demonstrates her dedication to her studies. One class that Ashley recommends to her peers is AP World History. She appreciated learning about different cultures, time periods, and countries. Even though there was a lot of learning involved, Ashley shared that there was never a dull moment.
Not only is Ashley highly involved within her school and community, but she also holds multiple leadership roles. Some of the clubs that she is involved in include: MESA, Quizbowl, Key Club, Project Planet A, and the Local Scholars Program (LSP). She was assigned the role of Enrichment Lead Supervisor for LSP and she has seen a great improvement in her organizational skills. Also, this position has given her first-hand work experience as she needs to sign up and commit to “work” shifts, show up on time, wear a name badge and help manage her workspace. Furthermore, after her MESA advisor retired, Ashley took the initiative to reintegrate MESA at the beginning of her senior year. She was dedicated to re-establish the community that individuals create while being part of MESA. She emphasized that MESA is not a strict STEM club, but rather a space where students can explore their interests and work collaboratively to complete mini engineering projects. To add to her cumulative involvement experience, Ashley is also a Student Representative for the Student Site Council where administrators and school staff have the privilege to work with and receive feedback from Miss Avalos and her peers. How lucky are they? Very!
Ashley's Motivational Words
Here are some words that Ashley would like to share: “Shoutout to all of my teachers for supporting me throughout the past years. Also, shoutout to the Higher Education Center for helping me apply to college and providing me with the proper resources to move forward.” To her peers, Ashley would like to say: “Always try your best, even if you are having a tough time. Your best will look different from time to time, but you will always know you gave it your all. Also, make sure to get involved in school and community organizations.” We thank Ashley for these wholesome words and wish her nothing but the best in her future endeavors
Higher Education Center
Email: edith.cruz@sausd.us
Website: https://sites.google.com/sausdlearns.net/counseling/home
Location: 2802 South Flower Street, Santa Ana, CA, USA
Phone: (714) 569 - 6349