Sonoma senior project inspires 5th graders to aim for college

Sonoma Valley High School students Estefany Celis and Karen Mendez are focusing their senior project on the importance of dual-immersion elementary schools and higher-education for first-generation students.

They are hoping to expand last year’s college T-shirt senior project by collecting enough college T-shirts and memorabilia for every fifth grade student at the five elementary schools in the district.

They plan to hand deliver the T-shirts and other college gear to the students; and joining them will be other seniors from their AVID class, which they have been in for four years.

“We’d like to share with them our stories and plans for next year, in order for them to see first-generation Latinxs who went to the same schools and lived in the same neighborhoods as them succeeding and going to college,” said the girls. “The goal is to plant the idea of college early on in first-generation students.”

The community is invited to help by donating a college T-shirt or memorabilia from their alumni universities or favorite college team.

T-Shirts can be dropped at Sonoma Valley High at 20000 Broadway, with a note for the project mentor, Elizabeth Campos. Email ecelis0@stu.sonomaschools.org or kmende0@stu.sonomaschools.org for more information.