Describing himself as a “strong, determined teenager with the goal of graduating from a 4-year university with a degree in mechanical engineering,” Andy Le is holding strong and succeeding in spite of his circumstances. His parents divorced when he was at a young age, and his mother remarried, after which his stepfather lost his job. Their home went into foreclosure, and eventually the family became homeless. “Once that happened,” Andy said, “my grandma let us stay with her for a while until we got back on our feet,” but this meant living with two other families. They were finally able to rent a house from her, after Andy’s mother finally found employment – only her new job was in Arizona. “My mom had no choice but to take the job,” Andy said, so that she could support Andy and his three siblings. This required Andy to take on much of the childcare and family responsibilities upon arriving home from school. “It’s pretty much the same routine every day,” Andy said. “I come home from school, give showers to my little siblings, cook for them, and let them run around and play until bedtime. After that, I have time to clean up the house and study.” Andy says he is motivated, in part, by his situation, “because I don’t want my kids to go through what I have.” Andy is on the football team and also enjoys art and weightlifting. Maintaining a 3.0 GPA, his English teacher said that Andy has “so much potential – he just hasn’t had the opportunity to shine yet.” His World History teacher said that Andy “possesses the ability to hear something only once and it becomes stored for life. He is also generous in wanting to help others.” His Honors Advisor said that Andy has not let his family trials “get the best of him. Financial problems have never interfered with his enthusiasm and motivation to finish high school and attend a 4-year university.” As a recipient of the Simon Scholarship, Andy believes that this is the chance he never had before. “I want to become a role model for my parents and future students, and be a leader to my fellow peers.” With guidance and support, Andy’s mentality is to “think the impossible is possible” and to believe “there are ways to fix your problems.”

Elizabeth Le comes from a family of Vietnamese immigrants.  Her parents and two sisters immigrated to the U.S. to flee the aftermath of the Vietnam War, in which her father spent nine years as a prisoner of war. The effects of the war left her father unable to work, so her mother now works doubly hard as a manicurist to support the family.  “Although financial support from my parents may be limited,” Elizabeth said, “the advice and strength they give me motivates me to climb the highest mountains and cross risky bridges to reach the finish line.”  Elizabeth is determined to be involved in her community.  She is active in the Red Cross Club and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  She also plays the piano and the zither and is on the badminton team at school.  “Being involved comes with a heavy price,” Elizabeth said.  “In order to pay for these activities, my parents and I must carefully watch what we spend.  Getting to college may be difficult for me right now, but I believe that I have the power to do anything.”  Elizabeth would like to pursue a career as an optometrist and she is thankful that the Simon Scholars Program will put her in a position to succeed.

Growing up with a father but “never much of a dad,” Salvador Manguilar watched his father’s many mistakes and vowed to chart a different course. “About 9 years ago,” he recalled, “my father had gotten arrested and sent to jail, but around the same time my only little brother was born.” Two weeks after his father’s release, Salvador’s little brother died, and Salvador was hospitalized with the very same illness. “I didn’t really have anyone to console me,” he said, “and I didn’t really understand what had happened. I decided that the one person I could have a strong relationship with was my mother.” That strong relationship has been a constant in his life. “I started looking to my mother for guidance,” he said, “and luckily for me, she had plenty to give. She would always tell me that my job was to do everything in my power to become the best person I could be. I took these words to heart whenever I would do anything.” After his father was deported to Mexico, Salvador recognized the importance of staying in school, graduating and going onto college. He aspires to attend MIT or UC Berkeley and major in civil and mechanical engineering. “I want to become a successful engineer and help my mother in even greater quantity,” he said. Maintaining a GPA of 3.8, Salvador works with his uncle in his landscaping business, while also being involved in the school marching band and the water polo and swim team. His coach said that when Salvador “came into the Aquatics Program, he could not swim at all. But he worked hard and has learned to swim and play water polo,” even though this meant being at daily practice by 6:00 a.m. If anyone has proven his ability to be dedicated and work hard, Salvador has done that.” His French teacher marveled at his ability to juggle so many tasks simultaneously “while still getting A’s and B’s! I can’t say enough about Salvador – he is amazing and deserves to be able to compete with others who are deemed amazing too.” The Simon Family Foundation heartily agrees.

Jenine Marquez believes that the absence of a father figure in her life has dramatically shaped who she is and what she wants to become.  Her mother has served as an inspiration in her life, always providing encouragement and never giving up hope. Living in a homeless shelter for a year was difficult, but during that time Jenine met others whose situations were similar to hers and who inspired her to keep going.   “The conversations I had with them will stay in my heart forever,” she recalls.  In the years since then, Jenine describes her family of four as “overwhelmed with felicity and bliss.”  Jenine is on the honor roll, despite missing almost a month of school due to family conflicts.  She is actively involved in karate and swim classes, volunteers at the zoo, plays the flute, and is involved with the Boys and Girls Club.  “Giving up is not an option,” Jenine said.  When she graduates from college, she wants to help other young women in need by advocating for them and becoming successful in her own right.

When Emmanuel Mejia was in 6th grade, his father died. Suffering from Parkinson’s disease and alcoholism, his death came as no real shock to the family. “After the funeral,” Emmanuel said, “we just went on with our lives. My mom has been working at a gas station trying to support us.” Emmanuel acknowledges that this has not been easy for her, but she been a steady support to Emmanuel and his sister, encouraging them to do well in school and attend college. In elementary school, Emmanuel conceded he was lazy – “my test scores were really low,” he said, but that changed when he started junior high. Attending “Dale Junior High was an important step in my life, because I actually looked forward to school day after day. I learned music culture, I had an interest in history, I was actually good in math, and most important, I liked science” and learning about the human body. Now Emmanuel wants to graduate from a university and pursue a medical career in cardiology or neurology. He currently maintains a 3.0 GPA, and his English teacher believes he has just gotten started, adding that he is “a good student with good work habits who works well in groups.” Emmanuel also volunteers regularly with his church. His priest spoke highly of him, remarking that out of the thousands of people that attend his parish, Emmanuel stands out from all the rest because he is “self motivated, despite what has happened in his life, including the death of his father and losing his home.” He added that Emmanuel “has a generous personality, who will give back to society through his skills or service.” Becoming a Simon Scholar and a scholarship recipient will enable Emmanuel to experience the joy of giving back in a truly meaningful way.