|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
From Lima, Peru to Redwood City, 17-year-old Tiffany Sanez Rubio has overcome the challenges of moving to a new country, learning a new language and surviving high school. Sanez Rubio is a graduating senior at Woodside High School and will be on her way to college at the University of California at Santa Barbara hoping to pursue marketing.
Sanez Rubio moved to the United States in the eighth grade and attended Kennedy Middle School. She describes her younger self as shy but that description no longer holds true as she has grown to become a leader in multiple clubs and student government during her high school years, she said.
“It was a huge change for me to switch from such a small country to a bigger one,” said Sanez Rubio.
When Sanez Rubio emigrated with her mother and younger brother they lived with family members during their first years in the U.S. During her junior year of high school they moved into a two-bedroom apartment with her aunt and cousin where she shared a room with her mother and brother.
“I don’t know how I really managed it but somehow I did,” said Sanez Rubio, who found a way to balance her leadership roles, education, caring for her sibling and acting as a translator for the family.
As Sanez Rubio entered high school, she was looking to grow her leadership skills. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she attended a club rush event on Zoom, looking to start a club for international students and other English language learners.
She spoke with Leslie With, a teacher at WHS, who welcomed her to join an existing International Student Ambassadors club, however Sanez Rubio wanted to play a role as a leader.
“[With] saw potential in me somehow, which I didn’t see at the time,” said Sanez Rubio. “She assisted me with creating my schedule for the next year and made sure I had leadership in my schedule.”
As a senior, she served as a Senator for the school’s Board of Student Affairs. She was excited to experience school spirit events, student government and gain leadership, something she never had in Peru or at Kennedy Middle School.
As a member of BOSA, she planned field days, prom, homecoming and spirit events. Sanez Rubio worked hard to successfully bring them to life. She feels proud of all that she’s done in planning events for her peers.
Through her experience in leadership, she found enjoyment from the creative aspects of making flyers and social media posts to promote school events. She hopes to be able to pursue a career in marketing in the future.
Sanez Rubio’s ambitions got her accepted into multiple colleges including Santa Clara University, Chapman University and Fordham University. She ultimately chose UCSB, a school that’s been in her top list since her freshman year.
“I really want to feel independent and do things by myself, which I’ve been doing in past years but this time, just me,” said Sanez Rubio who already found a roommate for her college dorm.
Sanez Rubio will be receiving a $20,000 scholarship from the College Track Thrive program as the first recipient of the Ron Reis Memorial Scholarship.
She was selected out of three other candidates at WHS and was chosen for her 4.1 GPA, involvement in student government, enrollment into Advanced Placement classes and “displaying remarkable poise and sharing compelling stories in her personal statement,” according to an email announcing her award.
The scholarship was created in memory of Reis, an alumnus of WHS and senior class president in 1964. Sanez Rubio was the only candidate to be involved in student government.
She was also awarded a $24,000 scholarship from the University Club in Palo Alto.
“This is not just for me. It’s for my whole family that made tons of sacrifices to come here and still are,” said Sanez Rubio.
As she reflects on her time at WHS, she has one advice for her freshman self: “Don’t worry about the future. You’ll be okay.” She attributes her achievements to her persistence and ability to always motivate herself to push forward.
