Attn: Education Desk and Features Desk
June 17, 2015
No. 74
Two Cajon High School Students Receive Prestigious
Gates Millennium Scholarships
English-Language Learners Overcome Obstacles To Earn Full-Ride Scholarships
At 14 years old, Marisol Zarate made a promise to her dying mother: one day, she would
make her proud.
“Before she passed away, I went into her hospital room and I promised her that I would
try my hardest to excel at everything, no matter what,” Marisol said.
Four years later, the Cajon High School graduate is poised to attend Stanford University
this fall, where she will study biomechanical engineering on a coveted, full-ride scholarship. As a
Gates Millennium Scholar, Marisol’s tuition is fully covered for the four years it will take her to
earn an undergraduate degree and an additional seven years if she pursues advanced degrees.
Marisol is in good company.
The Gates Millennium Scholarship is only awarded to the best and brightest high
school seniors from around the nation who otherwise may not be able to attend college due
to financial obstacles. This year, Marisol is joined by fellow Cajon High graduate Alejandra
Avila, whose scholarship will pay for her to study English and sociology at Williams College in
Massachusetts. They’re among 14 high school seniors to receive Gates Millennium Scholarships
in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.
Marisol and Alejandra, both Cajon High valedictorians, share more than a spot at the top
of their graduating class. The close friends both overcame obstacles they credit with shaping who
they are today.
The odds were stacked against Marisol even before she was born.
Doctors warned her mother, Maria, that giving birth to Marisol would put her own life at
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risk. When Marisol was born prematurely, doctors cautioned her parents that she wouldn’t live
past three months. The premature birth damaged Marisol’s hearing and left her with permanent,
partial paralysis in her face.
Although Alejandra’s path was not as challenging, she faced life in a new country without
the support of her siblings.
Alejandra emigrated to the U.S. from Peru, driven by her mother’s desire to give her a
better future. She spoke no English when she enrolled in first-grade at Kendall Elementary
School halfway through the school year. The youngest of three children, her two older siblings
live in Peru and Argentina.
Ana Avila, Alejandra’s mother, sobbed the day she found out about her daughter’s
scholarship. Without the Gates Millennium Scholarship, Alejandra didn’t know how she’d pay
for college, especially at a private, out-of-state university. Avila, who was a teacher in her native
Peru and now works as an educational assistant at San Gorgonio High School, always reminded
Alejandra that her good grades could ease the financial burden on the family.
Alejandra didn’t let financial obstacles deter her.
“In San Bernardino, we tend to get labeled as not being good enough,” Alejandra said.
“But, I overcame that by building a strong support system of people who believe in me.”
Alejandra has set her sights on becoming the superintendent of a large school district or a
lawyer, both professions that would allow her to give back to the community that supported her.
For Marisol, her desire to go into biomechanical engineering was shaped by the sorrow
she witnessed every time her ailing mother, Maria, was hospitalized. While she doesn’t plan to
pursue medicine, she hopes to develop cutting-edge prosthetic limbs, and one day, even internal
organs. Yes, Marisol believes man-made organs are possible within her lifetime. After all, she’s
proof that hard work and perseverance can make dreams come true.
“I’m going to the school of my dreams,” Marisol said. “I still wish I could hear my mom
tell me how proud she is of me.”
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