YES Prep Senior Signing Day is on May 17. Over 13,000 students, staff, alumni, community supporters, and families of seniors will celebrate the accomplishments of the Class of 2016.
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Class of 2016 Stats:
723 seniors from 8 campuses
5,987 applications submitted to 370 colleges
3,356 accepted applications
10,845 total college visits during time at YES
$18+ million awarded in scholarships and grants for the Class of 2016
Below, students and families from our 8 fully-grown campuses share their excitement for Senior Signing Day, their advice to younger students, and their plans for the future.
“My advice is to take your classes seriously. It might catch up to you at the end if you don’t. I didn’t start taking classes seriously until my sophomore or junior year, and it’s harder to get where you want to go.” -Alex Gonzalez, senior at YES Prep Southeast
“My advice to younger YES Prep students would be to take advantage of fly-ins and any information you’re given about schools and the college fairs. Keep in mind your likes and dislikes. You want to make sure you fit the school’s needs, and that it fits yours.” -Jasmine Campuzano, senior at YES Prep Southeast
“Being a first-generation college student is about what my parents had to invest in my life to care for me and to get me to this point. It was my parents’ American Dream for me to be successful and go to college. And it means that college will be part of my life, and my younger siblings’ lives, and my cousins’, and someday my own children and their children.” -Maribel Nava, senior at YES Prep Southeast
“I had a lot of people tell me that I couldn’t get into the film school at University of Southern California. And I did everything I could and put all of my energy into that application so I knew I’d be successful no matter what. Getting to say that I’m going to USC and it’s my dream school in front of all these people at Senior Signing Day really means something.” -Victoria Perez, senior at YES Prep Southeast
“Senior Signing Day is the culmination of all of my daughter’s efforts from pre-school through her years at YES. I’m looking forward to seeing her on the big screen.” -Adanary Jacques, pictured with Victoria (12th), Olivia (11th), and Julian (8th) of YES Prep Southeast
“I’m excited about being on stage. I’ve been waiting since 6th grade for that moment, and I can’t wait to announce and see everyone cheering.” -Juan Lerma, senior at YES Prep North Central
“The fact that I’m a first-generation college student really shows the hard work of my parents. They’ve worked so hard to give us a better life, and this proves that it’s worth it.” -Julissa García, senior at YES Prep North Central
“Being a first-generation college student means breaking the stereotypes set for my race and ethnicity. My life goals are bigger than what others imagine for me.” -Melinda Guerrero, senior at YES Prep North Central
“Senior Signing Day is a good opportunity for seniors to show where they’re going to go. It demonstrates their achievements. In more recent years, I’ve been excited to see friends that are graduating and going on to college.” -Brandon Garcia, junior at YES Prep North Central
“My advice to younger students is to keep striving for your goal and to never give up. Accept and conquer every challenge. If you keep working hard, you’ll see the results by senior year.” -Atlantis Jackson, senior at YES Prep Southwest
“It’s nerve-wracking that thousands of students will be watching you. But it’s also what I’m most excited about—being a role model.” -Jimmy Arredondo, senior at YES Prep Southwest
“My favorite memory at Senior Signing was watching my sister go up and declare her college. And now it’s my time. I was there for her, and now she’ll be there for me.” -Juan Cuoso, senior at YES Prep Southwest
“Senior Signing Day is something unique to YES Prep. It is the big reward that you look forward to from 6th grade on.” -Nora Torres, senior at YES Prep Southwest
“It’s a bittersweet feeling that Senior Signing Day is so soon. It means one chapter will close and another will open… My husband and I remind Julia that we didn’t have this great opportunity so you have to take advantage of it. Our dream is for Julia to fulfill her dream.” -Sonya Martinez, parent of YES Prep East End senior, Julia
“I’d like to go to SFA and study criminal justice. Police brutality is an issue and I’d like to change the perspective people have on police so I want to understand how that system works.” -Marianna Torres, sophomore at YES Prep East End
“I’m at a crossroads because I either want to study business or medicine. I’m leaning more towards medicine because when I’ve traveled outside of the country a couple of times – with YES Prep’s help, I’ve seen how different the healthcare systems are. Sometimes they are better than ours and some are not as great as ours. So having an opportunity to make sure the whole world has a good healthcare would be great.” -Jonathan Mancia, senior at YES Prep East End
“When I was in the 6th grade we didn’t even have Senior Signing Day in the Toyota Center, we had it at Rice. So, SSD always shows how big we’ve grown, how much we’ve impacted, and that there’s still so much more room to grow so that we can improve the city.” -Ray Tarango, senior at YES Prep East End
“As a first-generation college student, I’ll be breaking a barrier and starting something different in my family.” -Alishé Sarpy, senior at YES Prep North Forest
“Being a first-generation college student means that I’m starting a chain of success. Someday, my own children will go to college.” -Orlando Martinez, senior at YES Prep North Forest
“I’d advise younger YES Prep students to take advantage of every opportunity– even if it’s out of their comfort zone. Every risk you take allows you to grow as a person. Continue persevering even if the work load is too much.” -Maribel Hernandez, senior at YES Prep North Forest
“I’m looking forward to seeing my sister declare her college at Senior Signing Day, especially knowing that I’m only a few years away.” -Fernando Hernandez, a 9th grader at YES Prep North Forest, pictured with his sister, Maribel
“What I’m most excited about is being up on stage and showing everyone ‘I’ve made it. This is the college I’m going to. The proof is right here.’” -Elsa Hernandez, senior at YES Prep Gulfton
“There’s such a sense of pride and accomplishment when you’re able to declare what college you’re going to attend because, for me and for a lot of my peers, college was always a question. But now I’m finally being able to say ‘I’m first in my family to go.'” -Francisco Cernada, senior at YES Prep Gulfton
“YES Prep was worth it for me because of the support system. My teachers motivated and cared about me so much to get me to the next step.” -Over Garcia, senior at YES Prep Brays Oaks
“Build relationships with your teachers, because they really do look out for you, and they will be the ones to notice what’s up with you or what’s wrong. I think a lot of YES Prep students fail to appreciate teachers for what they really do for us.” -Esmerelda Trevino, senior at YES Prep Brays Oaks
“I chose Vanderbilt because they gave me the most financial aid, and also Vanderbilt is an IMPACT partner, which means I have a lot of support going into school that I wouldn’t necessarily have at other schools.” -Chidozie Alozie, senior at YES Prep Brays Oaks
“Financially, Prairie View A&M was a great choice for me, and they also have a good medical program. I want to major in biology. When I graduate, I want to be an OBGYN.” -Daija Meyer, senior at YES Prep Brays Oaks
“I went to South Korea last summer through a YES Prep partnership with the National Security Language Initiatives for Youth program. That experience helped me discover I have a passion for the country and the language, and I started studying at home on my own. Next year, I will continue studying Korean at UT Austin.” -Alexis Booker, senior at YES Prep Brays Oaks
“Don’t give up, and don’t think it’s as easy as it seems. At YES Prep more than other schools, you have to be persistent and work through and find ways to not let your obstacles stop you.” -Ashley Picon, senior at YES Prep West
“For those entering high school, try to study and maintain your GPA because if it drops you won’t be able to apply to certain colleges you wish you could go to.” -Gloria Pacheco, senior at YES Prep West
“I was nominated for the Posse Foundation Scholarship and completed the 8-month application process because I thought I had the leadership and academic skills to do it. Next year, I’ll be going to Texas A & M on the Posse Foundation Scholarship with 9 other students, and I’ll have a built-in support system both in and after college… My advice for younger students is to apply early for scholarships.” -Awolowo Mayungbe, senior at YES Prep West
“My favorite part of Senior Signing Day is watching how proud and happy parents are.” -Giselle Ramirez, senior at YES Prep West
“My favorite memory of SSD is from 6th grade. I saw the seniors announcing their colleges and hoped one day, I’d be up there announcing.” -Nathan Fuentes, senior at YES Prep West
