TWO NOGALES HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SELECTED FOR PRESTIGIOUS GATES MILLENNIUM SCHOLARSHIPS
Stephanie Lam and Elizabeth Flores Receive Full Scholarships Through Graduation to College of Their Choice
LA PUENTE, CA – APRIL 30, 2012 – For the fifth consecutive year, Gates Millennium Scholarships have been awarded to Nogales High School seniors. This year, Elizabeth Flores and Stephanie Lam have been selected by the nation’s largest minority scholarship program to receive college through graduate study scholarships to the college or university of their choice. Flores, who speaks Spanish, will major in Science/Biology at U.C. Berkeley. Lam, who speaks Mandarin, will attend New York University (NYU), but for her Freshman year, will study in London, England at the NYU portal campus as part of the Liberal Arts Core program. She plans to minor in creative writing and major in English Literature.
These young ladies are highly-motivated, academic powerhouses. In their words, “We were groomed for this!” Both have been high achievers throughout grade school. They say they owe credit to the challenging RAIS academic program while they attended Rincon Intermediate. It prepared them for the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at Nogales, where both will receive IB Diplomas. They share an almost identical class schedule and are involved in numerous organizations.
“I want to explore acting and be in the publishing world – that’s New York. My dream would be to become an editor at Teen Vogue,” said Lam, who lives in West Covina and has a 4.3 GPA. “My parents instilled in me at a very young age a strong work ethic. I watched them work 6 days a week, 12 hours a day. I would like to return the favor and take the financial burden off of them. If I could fly my Mom to Taiwan – her dream is to return where she grew up – that would be one of my goals.” Lam is Vice President of the IB Questors club, Secretary for the California Scholarship Federation and Poetry Club, President of the Invisible Children Club, is a member of Nogales Chamber Singers, and played on the Varsity Badminton team.
Flores lives in La Puente and has a GPA of 4.2. Her inspiration is to become a scientist and to focus on research. “My brother has been in the U.S. Army for 10 years and just returned from Iraq. My sister is a nurse and wants to continue to become a doctor. They both work so hard to help people and I want to follow in their footsteps in service. I would love to find something spectacular for the human race.” Flores has been in the Treble Singers of the Nogales High School Choir Program for four years, is Vice President of Key Club, a cabinet member of the IB Questors club, a member of the Invisible Children Club and the California Scholarship Federation, and participated in track and cross country during her freshman and sophomore years.
In addition to undergraduate and doctoral program tuition, books, meal plans and financial assistance to travel to visit family, the Gates Millennium Scholars receive academic support, mentoring and leadership training. The Gates Millennium Scholar Program reports that recipients have an average five-year graduation rate of almost 80 percent, 45 percent higher than the six-year rate for all college students.
Nogales High School is part of the Rowland Unified School District (www.RowlandSchools.org), and is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School that also offers a unique Career Certification Program for students. It is a four-year comprehensive high school accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Each year, graduates receive millions of dollars in grants and scholarships and attend the top colleges and universities. Nogales High School is located at 401 S. Nogales Street, La Puente. For more information, call (626)965-3437 or visit www.nogaleshs.org.
# # #