Courtesy of San Benito High School:
San Benito High School senior Rolando Pablo Lorenzo, who came to the United States on his own from Guatemala at age 14 to live with his uncle while seeking a brighter educational future, is one of four area finalists for the “Every Student Succeeding” award program presented by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA).
On a recent morning, a group of administrators from local school districts surprised the honor student in Juan Hernandez’s classroom on campus with notification of Lorenzo’s finalist status. He and one student each from Monterey, Salinas and Santa Cruz are up for the award.
North County Joint Union School District Superintendent/Principal Jenny Bernosky, who was one of the administrators on hand to announce the recognition, said students nominated for the award “may have had challenges in their life; things they’ve had to overcome by working really hard.” They “might have had a language issue or struggled academically, but really persevered above and beyond to be an outstanding student.”
SBHS Principal Adrian Ramirez addressed the classroom about the details of the award, and then announced Lorenzo’s name, drawing a standing ovation for the senior, who flashed a beaming smile while receiving congratulations.
In the nomination form for the award, Lorenzo is called “an outstanding example of perseverance and hard work.” His 3.69 grade point average could make it appear like academics has always come easy to him, the form noted, “but he has had struggles throughout his high school career and before,” having arrived in San Benito County from Guatemala on his own at age 14.
Not knowing a word of English, he was placed in an ELD (English Language Development) class offered by the SBHS Migrant Program’s evening summer school program prior to starting ninth grade. Even though he struggled a bit that first year of high school due to the language barrier, he sought the help of teachers and attended a tutorial to finish his first year of high school with a 3.5 GPA.
While working part time to help his uncle — with whom he lives — with expenses, Lorenzo has carried a full academic load (taking seven classes some semesters) in addition to attending evening summer school classes.
He has applied to various California State Universities and is looking forward to attending college with the goal of becoming a lawyer.
The SBHS Migrant Education Program staff has provided guidance to Lorenzo throughout high school, including sponsoring his trip to the annual three-day Northern California College Tour during his junior year, which familiarized him with college requirements and the admissions process.
He later was hired as a tutor to help other students in the Migrant Program’s Work Experience Program.
