Alondra Soto is the 2015 Migrant Education Region 23 student of the year. She was selected among many migrant education seniors in San Joaquin County and East Contra Costa County. The migrant honor student is selected for their academic work, student involvement, leadership, and character. Alondra was recognized on Saturday, April 11th, 2015 at the 36th Annual State Migrant Parent Conference in Los Angeles (please see picture). On the same morning Alondra found herself back in Stockton at University of the Pacific participating in an interview for the opportunity to qualify for the University of the Pacific Community Involvement Program (CIP) Scholarship. A couple of weeks later she found out that she had been awarded the scholarship and she was admitted into the program. CIP is a comprehensive, need-based scholarship program for first-generation college students from the Stockton community who have demonstrated the potential for sustainable leadership, community awareness, and involvement. The program serves the educational needs of low-income students by providing access to college along with a wide range of support to the CIP Scholars as they pursue higher education.
Alondra is a senior at Merlo Institute of Environmental Technology. Some of Alondra’s many qualities include her determination to succeed, a positive outlook, and the ability to take initiative. In addition to serving in her community as a volunteer after-school tutor at Aspire Rosa Parks Academy, Alondra has a part-time job at a local supermarket and serves as the president of The Friday Night Live Club that promotes drug prevention and a healthy lifestyle. She stated that this experience helped to further develop her organizational and public speaking skills. Additionally, she was involved in the FARMS Leadership program where she learned about how agriculture impacts her community and the benefits of healthy eating and sustainable practices. Alondra strongly believes that her community involvement, her part-time job, and extracurricular school activities have helped her become a better leader.
In the Fall of 2015, Alondra will be attending University of the Pacific where she will be majoring in Human Health and Criminal Psychology. She wants to work towards a Doctorate degree and she is interested in Human Health because she wants to help her community and others to develop and practice a healthier lifestyle. Likewise, she is interested in Criminal Psychology because she wants to help victims of crime, as well as, come to understand how to better prevent crimes in her community.
Alondra works hard for what she wants and is fully aware that the hardest things to accomplish in life come with the greatest benefits. She considers herself a leader because she always takes the initiative and sets the example for those who are afraid to speak up. She wants to make her family and community proud and inspire those who don’t believe in themselves by showing them that anything is possible when they set their minds to it.