Thanks to your generosity, our neighborhood just awarded $5000 each to three amazing Mission High 2026 graduates!  These “no-strings attached” grants will ease their transition into their futures as college students. As parents of college students know, the incidental expenses (dorm gear, technology, travel) really add up. These impressive Mission High grads have already received scholarships for tuition.  They will truly benefit from this help paying for the incidentals.  This reduced financial stress is made possible by all of you. (Note: donors sent their contributions directly to the Mission High Foundation, a 501-c-3 non-profit.)

Celeste Perron Oberfest, Peter Harris, and Michelle Cox, the Scholarships Committee members,  thanks the donors for being truly great neighbors.  Click here [insert link]  to learn about the Mission High students receiving these scholarships.

Kaeloni Parks, heading to UC Davis with plans to study biology and art:

“My love for art recently merged with my passion for science through the Cellular Construction Workshop (CCW) at UCSF. Working in a lab, programming robots to mimic cell behavior, and observing scientists opened my eyes to the incredible intersection of art and biology. Translating complex biological concepts into visual representations, like modeling immunotherapy with colored pucks, inspired me to want to become a medical illustrator, using my artistic skills to make science tangible and understandable. Art has been many things for me: a way to express myself, a source of joy, and a path to connect with others. Now, it also represents my future-an opportunity to combine creativity and scientific precision, to explore problems visually, and to tell the stories of science in ways that inspire.”

Cesar Roque, heading to UC Irvine to major in Mechanical Engineering, due to a love of cars from his childhood and a love of math which he acquired at Mission High

“As the oldest son in a Hispanic family, I am responsible for translating all the legal papers, school letters, bills, and other documents that come to my mom, me, and my two sisters. As a beginning reader, I struggled to understand the meanings in the lengthy pages. Translating my parents’ legal papers … seeing my mother’s reactions to her letters gave me a keyhole view into messy adult problems I could not understand. Over time, it taught me how to code switch between cultures, and to lead my family by patiently explaining outside rules. But toggling between languages and cultures made me feel lonely. Being the first to try something new has never been easy but being able to succeed meant my sisters would. I’ve become essential to my family, which makes leaving them daunting, but I’ve been a good example and know they can thrive independently.”

Oscar Morales, heading to UC Berkeley to major in Legal Studies

“Going to college is my way to debunk the current political myth that immigrants are a threat, while in reality, we are really just people looking for better lives. I was born in El Salvador and lived there until I was 5. In that country, education was a privilege that only those with money could afford. Now I am a co-teacher in the AVID ELD Senior Seminar course that is specifically designed for newcomer students. Being a native bilingual Spanish and advanced English speaker, I’m able to help many students with translating their homework and providing them with resources only available to them in English. I have motivated and empowered students to apply to universities and continue their education, and helped students get financial aid through the CA Dream Act. I feel proud of being able to lead a program that helps my community of immigrant students get informed and prepared for college.”