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Three Estrellita students honored with scholarships

By Julie Z. Giese
News-Sentinel staff writer

Yulianna Posada, 18, has a bright future ahead of her thanks to her experience at Estrellita High School, she said.

Posada, who transferred to the school as a senior, was more than 80 credits deficient.

Yulianna Posada

She managed to turn around her grades to graduate with the Class of 2001 at the continuation school.

Now, she’s looking at becoming a medical assistant. “I really like to help people out,” she said.

Posada, along with seniors Robert Gonzales and Vanessa Ochoa, were chosen by school leaders as outstanding students.

Each were awarded a scholarship at Monday’s graduation ceremony as a reward for their academic success.

The seniors say they couldn’t have done it without hard work, determination and encouragement from the educators.

“Everyone really encourages you and helps you out,” said Posada, who is enrolling in High Tech Institute in Sacramento in the fall.

Robert Gonzales

Gonzales, 17, started taking classes at Estrellita last December after getting in trouble for fighting at Galt High School. He admits he initially had a low expectation of the continuation school.

“It’s a lot different than I thought it would be,” he said. “There’s a lot of helpful people.”

He hopes to eventually continue his studies in college to pursue a career in firefighting.

“But I’m going to find a job first,” he said.

Gonzales and his girlfriend, Sarah Mialam, are expecting their first-born child in November.

	Vanessa Ochoa

For 18-year-old Ochoa, she decided to transfer to Estrellita in her senior year because she wanted to graduate early.

She finished her schooling in March to prepare for an upcoming bundle. Nearly a month ago, she gave birth to a baby girl named Iris.

Ochoa said the campus gets a bad rap as a continuation school.

“I really thought of it as being a loser school, but it’s different,” she said.

Ochoa said she appreciated her short time at Estrellita and the friendships made.

“It’s like it’s more united,” she said.

She plans to attend Consumnes River College in the fall to study law enforcement.

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