Information provided by Hollister High School. Lea este articulo en español aqui.
Hollister High School’s AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program recently held its graduation ceremony, celebrating the 128 seniors in the Class of 2024 – 70 percent of whom plan to attend a four-year college.
Of the 89 students committed to a four-year school, 61 will attend a California State University campus, 14 will enroll at a University of California school, nine will attend an out-of-state college, four will go to a private college in California, and one will attend in London, England.
Additionally, 33 AVID seniors plan to attend a two-year college, five will go to a trade school or serve an apprenticeship, and one student has enlisted in the Navy. AVID teacher Christine Dukes said of the seniors: “This group survived their first year of high school online due to the pandemic and lived through the rough start we had when we were all back in-person. This group of 128 diverse individuals came together and created a family. They continually amazed me with their resilience, their adaptability, and their willingness to step outside of their comfort zone. They pick each other up, they focus on doing the ‘right’ thing and not just the easy way out, and they challenge themselves to do better in every aspect of their lives.”
The AVID Students of the Year, Jamie-Lyn Polk and Emiliano Alvarez, were honored at the ceremony, having been nominated and voted on by their peers. Jamie, a first-generation college student who will attend Sacramento State University, was recognized in the nominations as being “always positive and kind” and an extraordinary student who always displays leadership qualities.
“She is the type of person who always stands up for what she believes in,” one AVID student shared, “and advocates for others while she is at it.” Jamie-Lyn was also noted as compassionate and “a perfect example of what an AVID student looks like, not only because of her involvement in the community, but her involvement in the AVID program itself.”
Emiliano Alvarez, who plans to major in aerospace engineering at U.C. Davis, is known for being smart and hard working, “but people forget that he is also a really good friend to everyone,” a student wrote. Another peer said Emiliano “makes you feel like you belong. He is always locked in with school and makes it cool to be one of the ‘nerds.’” Mrs. Dukes said the AVID Class of ‘24 set high standards for the program. “What’s beautiful about the AVID program is that these seniors who have been in the program for four years have many teachers to rely on and give them support, and they recognize that it truly does take a village – or at least an entire program/school – to raise up a student ready for post-secondary success.”
She noted that in addition to their families, AVID seniors personally invited teachers and staff from Hollister High School and their K-8 schools to the graduation ceremony. “They wanted to show their appreciation to their teachers who helped them along the way, and they were touched that those teachers and staff took the time to come out to their AVID graduation.”
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