Determination and discipline: One scholar’s journey to Princeton

As a child of immigrants from Oaxaca, Mexico, and as a person who is hard of hearing, Alexis faced unique challenges in his pursuit of higher education. Growing up academics proved to be an arduous task and being hard of hearing only made it more difficult for Alexis to focus on the classroom and to connect with his peers. A kitchen table became his sanctuary, where he vividly recalls spending afternoons completing his homework with the support of his mother who used a dictionary to translate assignments from English to Spanish. He credits her love and unwavering support as the foundation for his perseverance and dedication.

As a student he maintained a rigorous and structured schedule that helped him remain focused. Wake up. Go to school. Do homework. Play for 30 minutes. Sleep. Repeat. Once he was enrolled in high school at Wonderful College Prep Academy (WCPA), he ambitiously sought out any opportunity to improve his academic and personal abilities – no matter the rigor.

He enrolled in Soldiers of Change, a special elective where students develop comprehensive marketing campaigns to engage their peers in healthy habits. He participated in a range of sports including soccer and cross-country running, making him a competitive athlete. And with the support of Wonderful Education, he pursued summer enrichment opportunities like COSMOS where he learned more about the STEM field without concerns about the financial cost of attending. Additionally, he received personalized coaching support from his Wonderful Coach Geraldine who equipped him with the tools he needed to navigate the college application process.

On tough days, he turned to his big sister, former Wonderful Education Scholar, Alma for inspiration. A recent graduate from UC Berkeley, she helped him remain organized and committed to his academics.  

Regardless of the challenges over the years, Alexis was always able to count on the support of his family, WCPA and Wonderful Education. And, with his steadfast determination and discipline, he arrived at where he is today.

In June of 2023, Alexis graduated from WCPA as class valedictorian. He will be attending Princeton University to study architecture and civil engineering. With the fulfillment of one major life goal of attending an Ivy League university, Alexis has his eyes set on the future with dreams of exploring a career in NASA and opening his own engineering firm. As an expression of gratitude for his parents’ support, he hopes to take them back home to Oaxaca someday where it all began. We have no doubt that with his talent and commitment his dreams will come to fruition.  

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