A young mom and recent high school graduate is on her way to UCLA as the first person in her family to attend college.
Celeste Gutierrez is an 18-year-old mother to a toddler with special needs. She is a recent graduate from Magnolia Science Academy-4, Venice, that is a STEAM-based school in LA. Although she hasn't officially declared a major she has interests in child development and psychology.
Gutierrez learned she was expecting a baby while she was a freshman in high school. After she learned the news she made the difficult decision not to return for her sophomore year and focus on adjusting to being a new mother.
With the help of her school community like teachers and counselors she was able to return for her junior year and worked to earn her high school diploma. She graduated high school with a 3.44 Grade Point Average.
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"Our school community wouldn’t give up on her," said Musa Avsar, MSA-4’s principal in a statement. "We rallied around her to provide donations such as: clothing, books, diapers, a car seat, and to offer continuous social-emotional support. The school’s social worker and Spanish teacher worked closely with Celeste to mentor her, and make sure she felt supported and stayed in school. We’re very proud of her accomplishments and share in her success."
Gutierrez will be faced with many challenges ahead, not only like being a new college student but also including raising her child with special needs. School staff said that it's Gutierrez's motivation that helped get her through and pushed her to not give up.
"Celeste is a hard worker, and is resilient," said Marilyn Lopez, an MSA-4’s college counselor in a statement. "She completed all of her classes last fall, and is now headed to UCLA. We’ll continue to provide support as she transitions to college and throughout her higher-ed experience."
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Gutierrez will not be attending UCLA alone, she'll be going with a fellow classmate and best friend. Bryce Taylor who is ranked third in his class is a contributing movie critic to the school's Eagle Gazette" newsletter who is be at UCLA too.
Both Taylor and Gutierrez will be participating in their school's College Signing Day on May 22.
The high school they attend is part of the Magnolia Public School STEAM-based school network. The school has a total enrollment of 107 students with a 100% graduation rate. They offer smaller class sizes, Saturday and summer school, personalized tutoring and a study-hour program after school for teachers to meet closely with students.
"We are a student-focused, student-centered school," Avsar said, in a statement. "We build partnerships and find resources that will identify the need in each child, and provide the support they need to succeed. Just like with Celeste and Bryce, we want to see all our students achieve their full potential."
