PUSD CLASS OF 2023

Dear PUSD Community,

Welcome to the first in a series that spotlights the graduates of PUSD high schools this year!

To our graduates, their families, and the educators of PUSD: Congratulations!

The Class of 2023 embodies our community’s vision for graduates of PUSD schools: critical thinkers, creative problem solvers, and multilingual communicators with a heart for their community. PUSD graduates are ready for the world.

Their next steps hold tremendous potential to shape their future, our community, and the world. Some are headed to prestigious colleges. Others have chosen a different path, diving into the workforce, pursuing a trade, or taking some time to explore their options. Whatever they choose to do next, we trust that the values we’ve practiced at PUSD will continue to fuel your growth and lead us into a better future. It’s been an honor to have been on this journey with you.

I wish you the very best.

Sincerely,

Brian McDonald, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Three years ago, William Simpson founded his own non-profit organization. He is an exemplary student and has already earned several college credits through dual enrollment at Pasadena City College (PCC).

After attending school in another district, William enrolled in PUSD’s Center for Independent Study (CIS) Academy. He has always thrived as an online student.

“CIS has given me the flexibility to take college courses as well as work on my non-profit, Resolve Los Angeles. The teachers and counselors were extremely supportive. I was also able to continue taking concurrent enrollment classes in person at Pasadena City College,” William explained.

CIS Principal Larry Torres said, “CIS turned out to be an excellent fit for William and he was able to maintain high academic marks as well as take an entire year of math in one semester.”

At CIS, William’s accolades continued to add up. He was elected as a representative of the CIS School Site Council, the school’s governing body. He was honored with the Every Student Succeeds Award which highlights students who overcome obstacles.

In addition, William has made it his mission to empower others through an organization he created. ResolveLA.org sells streetwear to spread positive messages and fund relief efforts aimed at homelessness, the environment, and social injustice issues. Recently the 501(c)3 company donated over $1500 to an area drug recovery center.

Celeste Sharp loves the water and the earth, and plans to take an in-depth look at both as an agroecology major at the University of California at Santa Cruz, this fall. Celeste gained experience working at the Muir farm and, in college, hopes to learn more about small-scale sustainable farming, an interest that may have grown out of her mother’s love of gardening.

An outstanding student-athlete who has “always loved science,” Celeste has already completed 49 college credits at Pasadena City College (PCC) through Muir’s dual-enrollment program which allows students to simply walk across the quad to a self-contained PCC building and take college-level courses. Celeste has coached middle school water polo, played for Muir’s water polo team, and was captain of the swim team. In a way, the Muir community helped her stay afloat even during the “weird” pandemic years.

“One thing that stands out to me about Muir is that it really feels like a family,” she explained. “Even if I don’t know someone personally, I could still reach out to them and ask for help. Whether they’re a student or a teacher, I know that my Muir family is here for me.”

Celeste was also the Associated Student Body Treasurer and a member of the Gender & Sexuality Alliance founded by her older brother. In her spare time, she enjoys competing in triathlons, biking, and baking. She will attend UCSC but was also accepted at UC Berkeley, UC Davis, University of Hawaii at Hilo, and Goshen College.

Natalia Vargas has a vibrant future to look forward to as an art major at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). A first-generation college student, Natalia is one of 1,000 students to earn the Bruin Success Scholarship, a $10,000 award distributed at $2,500 per year. She joined the Marshall Eagle family in 6th grade following her promotion from Norma Coombs Elementary.

As an Eagle, Natalia soared both in school and outside the classroom. She was a member of the Black Student Union, the Financial Literacy Club, the Rock the Street Wall Street Club, president of the LatinX Club, and founder of the Screen Printing Club. As a student-athlete, she served as Team Captain of the Girls' Wrestling Team.

Natalia is enrolled in the Academy for Creative Industries (ACI) in the Art Track. Her recent piece, “Remembering Them” using colored pencil and paper medium, was displayed at the PUSD No Boundaries Art Exhibit and was the Bridging Boundaries 2023 Awardee. Through ACI, Natalia’s Summer Internship was with Altadena Children’s Center. She is also a ballet folklórico dancer transitioning into becoming an instructor with the City of Pasadena. Natalia has received additional academic and college preparatory support through the Upward Bound Program and College Access Plan (CAP).

She selected UCLA but had offers of admission from Pasadena City College, Cal State Los Angeles, Cal State University Northridge (CSUN), San Francisco State, UC Riverside, UC Santa Cruz, the University of LaVerne, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

PHS Salutatorian Justin Hong has already learned a significant amount of college-level math, speaks Mandarin at home, has a sky-high GPA, and has been on the varsity swim team since freshman year. Yet, the extremely bright, well-rounded student-athlete modestly admits that did not think he would be accepted at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). He was, in fact, admitted to Caltech and he plans to study computation and neural systems.

A member of the Math Academy, Justin also joined Eurisko, a group of high schoolers working on advanced projects in computer science. It was formed during the summer of 2020 as a collaboration between App Academy and Math Academy. It is one of the most advanced high school math/computer science sequences in the country. Students write all their code from scratch before they are allowed to import from external libraries.

Justin has already conducted research at Caltech over the summer and is interested in how computer science and neuroscience interface -- in other words, the brain-computer connection.

Justin says the human connections that he made throughout his PUSD education (at Field Elementary, Sierra Madre Middle School, and PHS) will stay with him for years to come. He also says the water polo and swim programs were the “highlights” of his PHS memories. He’s swimming in sports accolades as well – he made it to the CIF Southern Section finals for both the 100-yard backstroke and 4x100 freestyle relay events after qualifying in the top 16 during the preliminaries. He also placed first in the Pacific League for the 100-yard backstroke.

He says he is grateful for his coaches and for his family, especially his parents who “constantly pushed” him and “worked extremely hard, likely harder than me, to provide me with the opportunities I needed to succeed.”

He’s also thankful for his teachers and said, “They care about whether or not we’re actually learning and they go to great lengths to make sure the learning process is enjoyable.”

Justin is a California Scholastic Federation (CSF) Sealbearer, a National Honor Society (NHS) member, and a Seal of Biliteracy recipient. Justin is also a National Merit Commended Scholar. In addition to Caltech, Justin was also accepted at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Rose City High School’s mascot is a phoenix rising out of ashes, and Valedictorian Aster Silverio says it’s especially apt “because the school was the setting of the arc of my redemption.” After struggling during the pandemic, Aster felt supported at Rose City High School because it had options that fit the way she learns. She made up course credits quickly, was active in the school’s Student Leadership Board, and graduated early. She also interned at Pasadena’s Armory Center for the Arts.

Aster is still exploring careers and plans to attend Pasadena City College for two years before transferring to a four-year college. She would like to major in psychology with a minor in Philosophy and is also interested in photography, art, and animation. “My school experience made me realize that all knowledge is good knowledge. My goal is to be happy in whatever career I choose,” she says.