From East Side to the Ivy League
Meet Michael, Samantha, Cecilia, Ricky, Kenneth, and Jennifer. They attend William C. Overfelt High School on the east side of San Jose, California, a predominantly working-class neighborhood where 92% of students receive free or reduced lunch. These students believe in the American Dream. They know that one of the first steps in achieving that dream is to attend college or university. But they also know that competition for the top schools is fierce. So, they are working hard academically to give themselves the best chance at earning a spot at one of those schools. They are top students in their classes.
Each wants to attend a school that is the best fit for them. In order to make that decision, it is important to visit schools, including the Ivy Leagues. It's the reason for this campaign.
In October of 2016, these six ambitious students will be visiting the following schools: Columbia University, The Julliard School, Princeton University, Yale University, University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, MIT, and Brown University. They are busy fundraising for the trip, but they know that selling candy and concessions at school events will get them only so far. So, they are hoping that you will help them.
Michael Trang, Class of 2017, never gave a thought to schools outside of California. Not until he attended a presentation by a Harvard admissions officer did he even think he might have a chance. With his 4.0 gpa and extracurricular and leadership activities (among other things, he runs track, is secrtary of Overfelt's School Site Council, and co-student coordinator of the school's START Saturday School program which often hosts over 250 students every other Saturday), Michael sees this as an opportunity "to get to know better" East Coast schools he is "striving so hard to get into."
Samantha Castillo, Class of 2017 and ranked 4 in her class, is a stand-out student. She takes some of the most difficult classes offered at Overfelt: AP Chemistry, AP English Language, and is one of a handful of juniors enrolled in AP Calculus BC. But academics aren't all she does. She runs track and is a cheerleader. Plus, she is president of School Site Council, and next year will be president of the California Scholarship Federation and an officer of the National Honor Society. Her goal is to be a pediatrician. 
Cecilia Ledezma, Class of 2017, is a young woman of many talents. She composes music and wrote her first orchestral piece when she was in the 5th grade. She taught herself American Sign Language and was hired as a private tutor for a deaf child. She currently works at a recreation center for children with disabilities or impairments, teaching them yoga and art. She plays guitar, bass guitar, and does club gymnastics with the California Sports Center in San Jose. She is on the track team and is pushing to set a new school record in the pole vault. Plus, she's in the top 15% of her class. She is considering a major in biomedical engineering.
Ricardo Miranda, Class of 2017, in his freshman year didn't feel challenged in his classes, so he transferred into the Advanced Academic Program for his sophomore year. There, he thrived, enjoying the rigorous, competitive, and friendly atmosphere. Currently, he is ranked 7 in his class, a scholar athlete who plays football and runs cross-country and track. He is a leader in and out of the classroom, someone others look to for guidance. It is not unusual to see him tutoring other students with their work. He co-coordinates the START Saturday School program with Michael and is vice-president of School Site Council. He will be an officer of the National Honor Society. 
Kenneth Quiterio, Class of 2019, is the only freshman in this group. But he's a young man with a plan. He knows he wants to study computer science in college. To that end, he is taking two math classes this year so that he can take math analysis this summer, which will allow him to take AP Calculus AB his sophomore year, AP Calculus BC his junior year, and AP Statisticshis senior year. This past summer, he met two alumni who are attending school on the east coast. One of them was Carlos, a recent Overfelt alumnus currently attending Harvard. He inspired Kenneth to dream big. Kenneth thought, "If they can do it, there can’t be a reason as to why I can’t." Since summer, he has been "extremely driven" to do the same. He dreams of attending MIT but believes that visiting the school is crucial to making the right decision.
Jennifer Hernandez Garcia, Class of 2017, has a passion for writing. She was the grand prize winner in two district-wide writing contests honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez. She also won first place in the Ford Driving Dreams essay contest. This summer, she will spend three weeks in Nicaragua with Global Glimpse and one week in New York at Barnard College's Liberal Arts Intensive Summer Program. She is the incoming secretary for the Class of 2017. She is particularly interested in Princeton University because of their strong writing program.
All funds raised will be used to pay for the roundtrip airfare, lodging, and ground transportation while on the East Coast for one week for these six young scholars and dreamers. They would greatly appreciate any donation. Please share their campaign. #ThankATeacher
Thank you!