Franklin Arriola-Guandique
San Jose State University
"Going to college is going to be a great achievement for me because nobody in my family has gone to a four-year college. When I was young I always wondered why things were the way they were. I lived in a low-income apartment my whole life until my family decided that we had to work harder than we already were to get out of there. It was all violence and hate between people because of what the other had or because of the color of their skin. For that reason I work hard in school and for myself, as I work three jobs outside of school, which I'm very proud of doing in my senior year. Giving up is never an option and that is something I bring with me everywhere."
Scholars
Meritus Scholars achieve an admirable record in high school while tackling unique, sometimes challenging circumstances. Eighty-five percent of Scholars are the first in their family to attend college and many are confronted with complexities posed by recent immigration, non-native English speaking backgrounds, single-parent families, foster care, and exposure to neighborhood violence and drugs. Nevertheless, their drive and determination to pursue a college education remains a goal that lights the way.
Meritus Scholars attend and graduate from both public and private colleges and universities both within and outside of California.
Approximately 65% of Scholars are female and 35% male. Ethnically, Meritus Scholars represent the diversity of the student population of the San Francisco Unified School District.
