At South El Monte, we have many admirable students, aiming for success at everything they do. These students success had just begun. In this article, we will be recognizing seniors who went above and beyond. Through their academic achievements, these students will surely leave a lasting impression at this school.
Natalie Luu, known for her dedication for her leadership and academics, has always challenged herself with challenging classes, including taking multiple AP classes and being involved with the community. Outside of the classroom, she served as president of CSF and FBLA, and actively participated in activities, showing a deep commitment for both learning and giving. Natalie shares her experiences throughout high school. “My school has helped shape me by giving me the opportunity to connect with others through clubs and sports. I’ve been in FBLA, CSF, girls tennis, and girls basketball on campus. I was also in Harvey Mudd Upward Bound and got two internships through that. I’ll miss the carefree and childish attitude that high school still allows us to have. It is important to be mature, but you’re still able to enjoy yourself and mess around every now and then.”
She shares what she is proud of. “I’m most proud of playing big roles in school clubs by being an officer. My proudest high school accomplishments are probably the FBLA awards that I’ve gotten. Something that I did that was out of my comfort zone was run to be an FBLA officer. I didn’t like speaking in front of people so this was a big step for me!” She also tells about her challenges during high school. “My biggest challenge was accepting that bad test grades don’t ruin my life. I overcame it by learning from my mistakes and striving to improve in the future. However, I manage stress and balance everything by expressing any frustration to my friends and then finding some time to rest and reevaluate what is most important for me at that moment.”
Natalie also shares advice for the underclassmen. “The best piece of advice I have received is ‘don’t tell anyone until it’s done.’ This basically means to keep your plans and goals to yourself since the wrong people can diminish your motivation and hope. Advice that I would give to underclassmen is to get ahead while they can. This includes homework, projects, studying for tests, and working on college applications.”
Cindy Nguyen, another high-achieving senior, has balanced her studies with extracurricular activities, and is also a member of FBLA, serving as vice president along with Natalie. With a passion for pursuing the medical field, Cindy’s acceptance into UCLA shows that with passion, anything is possible. She tells about what she is most proud of during her high school experiences. “I am proud of surviving college applications. College applications was really scary and tough, but I was able to survive it! During my high school years, I have been in the Medical Club, CSF, and FBLA at school. Becoming vice president for FBLA completely took me out of my comfort zone. FBLA helped network and meet so many new people, which is something I normally wouldn’t do. Outside of school I volunteer at the public library weekly and I work at the local pool during the summer. My school has helped me become a more extroverted person. When I first started high school I used to be really shy, but now nearing the end of high school I have become more outgoing.”
She also says, “The most important thing I’ve learned in high school is to make the most of your time. High school is when you’ll make the most memories so it’s important to cherish every moment. If I were to go back in time to my high school years, I wouldn’t change a single thing. I am going to miss the people I’ve met, I have met some of the most amazing people in high school that have become my best friends. I am so grateful to have met them and I’ll miss them so much once we graduate.” Cindy also gives a shout-out to a teacher who helped her during high school. “Someone I would like to thank is Ms. Cobian. She really helped me to survive senior year. She’s just an amazing person and teacher.”
Sherlyn Santiago and Cindy Pascual are both twins, and have shared memorable high school experiences throughout their time at SEMHS. Cindy Pascual has been apart of the community, being involved in Tennis, Track and Field, FBLA, CSF, FMP, MECHA, and Operation Smile. She also volunteers at the South El Monte public library, and is part of the Youth Active SGV Fellowship. Sherlyn has also previously been a part of ECA, MECHA, CSF, Operation Smile, Paranormal, tennis, track and field, Upward Bound Math & Science. she also volunteers at the South El Monte Public Library.
Now going to UCLA, their determination and work ethic is truly outstanding. Interviewing the twins, they tell us about their time in high school, and memorable moments. “Honestly, you never think about how school has impacted and shaped you until you have a few days left there, but it’s made us hardworking, and able to rely on people from there.” The twins both agreed that school was funner with the people they were surrounded with, and will be missing their friends very much.
Cindy Pascual talks about overcoming challenges. “I think my biggest challenge in high school was figuring out what classes to enroll in because I wanted to be challenged but not drained. However, I was able to figure out what courses were of best fit for me with help of my friends and counselor. My friends and family were my biggest supporters during high school. I sincerely appreciate every moment with them.” She also mentions getting out of her comfort zone. “One time, I volunteered to speak in front of many students in the quad to help host the Dia de Los Muertos event for MECHA. Although nerve-wrecking, I still am glad I did it to overcome my speaking skills.”
Sherlyn also talks about her experiences. “The biggest challenge for me during high school was studying. My household is very loud and I get distracted easily at times. So I would struggle remembering material or encoding it. I overcame this by studying at the public library instead. My sister has also always been there for me when I needed guidance. She has pushed me and has helped me when no one else could. She’s just always been there.”
As seniors, they both give a piece of advice to their underclassmen. Cindy Pascual says, “Enjoy every second in your high school career and join many clubs because it is worth it in the end. When things are tough, don’t give up. Even if you make mistakes, instead learn from it and do better next time around.” Sherlyn adds, “Live by risking and not regretting. You really only live once, so take risks, do something that scares you because you’ll never get it back. You don’t want to live a life where you look back and regret not doing something, so just do it. ‘You only live once,’ is also a quote that really stuck to me. You really only get one lifetime so make the best out of it. It’s never too late. I’ve been sticking to that quote these past years and will continue to. So that I can live without regrets.”
Natalie Luu, Cindy Nguyen, Cindy Pascual, and Sherlyn Santiago represent the future of SEMHS. Their hard work shows that anything is possible with hard work and dedication. We are so proud of our seniors, and can’t wait to see what they will accomplish!
