Since its establishment in 2002, the BEF has provided up to three 4-year scholarships annually to students from the Mountain View High School AVID graduating class. In addition, many students from the graduating AVID class are awarded BEF Honorable Mention scholarships in recognition of their hard work and achievements and as incentives toward a path to college. Hundreds of Honorable Mention scholarships have been awarded.
By awarding the 4-year scholarships and Honorable Mentions early in the senior year of high school, the BEF has created a pull-up effect on the AVID program, resulting in many more AVID students being inspired to apply for other scholarships and ultimately attend college.
Each year, a BEF college graduate serves as the keynote speaker at Mountain View High School’s Senior Awards Night. Links to their speeches are included at the end of their bios.
BEF SCHOLARS
The College Graduates
Gladys Gudino, the first BEF scholar, graduated from the University of California Los Angeles in 2007 with a Bachelor’s Degree in History and minors in Spanish and Chicana/Chicano Studies. Gladys subsequently earned a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from Santa Clara University with an emphasis in Correctional Psychology. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Video Link
Jessica Hamon graduated from the University of California Berkeley in 2008 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Cell and Developmental Biology and went on to earn a Master’s Degree of Public Health from Yale University. She is currently a Public Health Program Manager for Placer County, CA. Video Link
Jose Serrano graduated from the University of California Berkeley in 2009 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering, subsequently earned a Master’s Degree in Geotechnical Engineering from the University of California Berkeley, and later completed his Professional Engineer (PE) certifications. He is currently an Associate Engineer at Central Geotechnical Services, LLC. Video Link
José Ivan Arreola graduated with three distinguished student awards from Santa Clara University in 2010, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and minors in History and Ethnic Studies. He was awarded a Culture of Health Fellowship at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, where he developed community-based models for sustainable healing. He is currently National Advocacy Coordinator for the Center for AI Policy. Video Link
Amy Ferreccio graduated from the University of California Santa Cruz in 2011 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology and a minor in Chemistry. She subsequently earned a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Washington and is currently a Scientist 1 at Universal Cells. Video Link
Jonathan Torres graduated from the University of California San Diego in 2013 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Biology. He is currently Laboratory Operations Manager at The Scripps Research Institute. Video Link
Angelica Mantilla attended Foothill Community College and then transferred to the University of California Berkeley where she graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Legal Studies with Highest Honors. She is currently a Patent Practice Assistant at the law firm of Fenwick and West. Video Link
Brian Guzman graduated from the California Polytechnic Institute Pomona in 2016 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Information Systems. He is currently a Software Engineer at Intuit. Video Link
Cassandra Magana Garcia graduated from the California Polytechnic Institute Pomona in 2016 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Management. She currently works in Growth Strategy for Google. Video Link
Ana Raquel Gómez-Pérez graduated from Santa Clara University in 2017 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology, Spanish, and Ethnic Studies, with a minor in Latin American Studies. She is currently a Legal Services Funders Network Fellow at Step Forward Foundation. Video Link
Fernanda Rodriguez attended Foothill Community College and later transferred to the University of California Irvine where she graduated in 2017 with a Bachelor’s Degree with a double major in Business Administration/Accounting and Psychology. She is currently a Senior Tax Accountant for a CPA firm.
Jessica Fernandez graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara in 2018 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies. She is currently the Plant Propagation Manager at the San Francisco Botanical Garden.
Video Link.
Sharon Wachuka graduated from the California Polytechnic Institute Pomona in 2019 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. She worked with autistic children and was also a singer/songwriter. Tragically, Sharon was brutally attacked in July 2021 and is still recovering from her injuries. You can follow her progress at www.FriendsOfSharon.org.
Marwan Nassar graduated from the University of California Riverside in 2020 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music, studying jazz guitar and performance. Since graduating, Marwan has been giving private music lessons, teaching in a variety of programs, and performing gigs. You can follow Marwan on Instagram @marwan.music for updates on his musical endeavors. Marawan Nassar Keynote Speech (Video)
Ana Sofia Garay Quezada graduated from the University of Southern California in 2021 with a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations and Global Business and a minor in Entrepreneurship. Ana is the Founder and Social Media Strategist for her company, ManagerLux.
Paula Itzel Garcia Tellez graduated from the University of California Santa Cruz in 2021 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and a minor in Technology Information Management. She is currently a Product Line Manager at Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company. Video link
Crystal Solorzano graduated from Sonoma State University in 2021 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Development. Crystal is a certified nursing assistant (CNA) and is currently enrolled in the Masters of Nursing program at San Francisco State University
Mariana Ortega-Flores graduated from the University of California Merced in 2022 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. She is attending California State University East Bay, earning a Master’s of Counseling with a concentration in School Counseling along with a Marriage and Family Therapy certification.
Jasmine Velazco graduated from Northeastern University in 2024 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism.
Marco Torres Romero graduated from the California Polytechnic Institute Pomona in 2024 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science.
Angel Sarango graduated from the California Polytechnic Institute Pomona in 2024 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering.
The Current Undergraduates
Cynthia Valencia is an undergraduate at San Jose State University majoring in Business: Human Resources.
Meagan Estrella is an undergraduate at California State University Monterey Bay majoring in Psychology.
Megan Rodriguez is an undergraduate at University of California Riverside majoring in Biology.
Yahir Cervantes is an undergraduate at the University of California Riverside.
Michelle Suarez Maeda is an undergraduate at the University of California Santa Cruz.
Arelly Cervantes will be a college freshman in the fall of 2025.
Erick Coca-Castillo will be a college freshman in the fall of 2025.