Carlos Alvarado has always known his daughter Yadhira Alvarado-Zarate would succeed.
He saw her wake up every day enthusiastic for school, work hard in classes and cultivate her passion for learning — particularly science — and “sustained hope” that she would receive the help she needed to achieve her goals, Alvarado said, speaking Spanish to an interpreter.
Help came in the form of a $40,000 scholarship from the College Board’s BigFuture Program.
Alvarado-Zarate’s peers at McClure Health Science High School, her parents, staff from the school and representatives from the College Board surprised her with the news Friday.
The presentation was disguised as a promotion for students to use College Board resources for academic opportunities. Students who complete specific steps are entered into drawings for scholarships through the program, which aims to encourage students to explore their options for college. Most awards are $500, but each month, two students from across the country receive $40,000.
By chance, both BigFuture $40,000 scholarship winners this month were in Gwinnett. Alyssa Perez, a student at Gwinnett Online Campus, was also surprised with a check on Friday.
Credit: Courtesy of Gwinnett County Public Schools
Credit: Courtesy of Gwinnett County Public Schools
Only a few people knew Alvarado-Zarate, a junior, was receiving a scholarship, so the room erupted with applause when the big check was revealed. Alvarado-Zarate, soft-spoken by nature, said she needed a few minutes to process the news. Alvarado and his wife, Maria Zarate, shed tears as they embraced their daughter.
Alvarado-Zarate said she’s interested in bioengineering and working in a laboratory. Ever since she started school, she has been interested in science, leading her to McClure. She said she likes the school’s emphasis on science and how students can motivate each other.
Credit: Jamie Spaar
Credit: Jamie Spaar
“I have a lot of friends that are so interested in their studies and what they want to (do) when they’re older,” she said. At school, Alvarado-Zarate is a highly ranked student who has taken several Advanced Placement classes and is enrolled in four right now. She plans to take more next school year.
Her principal and one of her former teachers said she was well-deserving of the scholarship.
“She’s such a sweet student and respectful, and she cares about her future,” Nakia Ross, Alvarado-Zarate’s freshman-year chemistry teacher, said. McClure Principal Nicole Mosley touted Alvarado-Zarate’s work since she first came to Gwinnett, entering elementary school as an English learner.
“It’s so nice to see a student who I know has worked for every opportunity” receive more opportunities to reach her goals, Mosley said. “(The scholarship) changes her life trajectory, it changes her family’s life trajectory by taking away some of the financial burdens that can come with college.”
Alvarado-Zarate credited her parents for providing a safe environment that allows her to focus on school. Her dad was quick to credit his daughter, saying “80% of of her initiative and her drive is innate to her” — he credits himself, his wife, the schools and other supports with the rest.
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