MIT scholarship fulfills dream for San Luis teen

San Luis, Ariz. - Living modestly with a single parent, she may not think of herself as a role model.

But Angelica Ceniceros blazed a trail for other students and earned a scholarship to a prestigious university.

Ceniceros, 18, a senior at San Luis High School, was recently awarded a full scholarship in an honors program to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

She said she arrived at high school with a passion for mathematics and had her sights set on submitting an MIT application since 10th grade.

"I like word problems and always wanted to go into a field to apply my knowledge about math. I want to explore the possibility of applying my skills to design vehicles or systems used in space."

After returning from a visit to Mexico, Ceniceros checked the MIT online account she established to discover she had been accepted for admittance.

"I was shocked but really glad. I showed my mom the acceptance letter and she was happy, but I told her we can't afford it. Three weeks later I got my financial aid package and now I can finally enroll."

Already granted a full-ride scholarship at Arizona State University, Ceniceros had been participating in ASU's honors program for the three previous summers.

"I was comfortable with the idea of going to ASU and my mom was supportive, but there was no way I was going to throw away the opportunity to go to one of the finest schools in the country."

Attending school in the Northeast is a major transition, Ceniceros acknowledged, yet she already purchased winter clothing. She will be traveling East this summer for orientation and checking up on living accommodations. And she has been busy e-mailing MIT sophomores to get an insider's take how to adapt.

"I have asthma, so I have problems with my health. I also asked about which dorm is best to study and about restaurants. I'm a vegetarian, so I need veggie options so it shouldn't be a problem for me."

Miguel Contreras, San Luis High School guidance director, said Ceniceros is an all-around excellent student.

"It took a lot of extra work to get to this point," Contreras said. "But she came with a good foundation from the K through 8 system."

It was Contreras who shepherded Ceniceros through the financial aid process, helping her become a finalist for the Gates Millennium Scholars, the "Mercedes- Benz" of scholarships, established by Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

Ceniceros ultimately didn't get it. But Contreras knew many schools maintained their own scholarships and with some effort, the financing came through.

"It was awesome, close to being a miracle, because we knew how expensive it was," Contreras said.

Despite the largess of the $52,370 scholarship, there was an insufficient amount to travel back and forth on holiday breaks. So a local campaign was started to fund Ceniceros' travel expenses so she concentrate on a good performance, Contreras said.

"It's a major breakthrough but hopefully she can serve as a motivation for other students to follow," Contreras said. "It takes a lot of work. It's not for everybody but Angelica is proof it can be done."

Ceniceros said after graduation she would like to return to San Luis to encourage students to continue their education by teaching before she focuses on a specific career path. Yet she would advise younger students it is never too early to begin the search for what may become their life's endeavor.

"A lot of kids in middle school think, oh, high school is going to be party time," Ceniceros said. "They'll have time to enjoy life here but you can't have fun all the time."

Just how well a student can perform in high school largely falls on the shoulders of each individual, Ceniceros cautioned.

"I came here to do what you're meant to do," Ceniceros stressed. "I came here with the idea to learn and explore what I like and didn't like. I think I'm going to graduate with a pretty good idea."


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William Roller can be reached at
wroller@yumasun.com or 539-6858.