Our Impact

    Since 2002, the BEF has provided twenty-three 4+-year scholarships to deserving students from AVID graduating classes. In addition, each year, 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. Since 2002, 186 Honorable Mention scholarships have been awarded.

    By awarding the 4-year scholarships and Honorable Mentions, the BEF has created a pull-up effect on the AVID program, resulting in many more AVID students attending college.

    BEF SCHOLARS as of 2020:

    Fourteen scholars have graduated with a Bachelors Degree, and seven are currently in college/university. BEF college graduates are featured speakers at Mountain View High School Senior Awards Night. Links to their speeches are included in their bios.

    The College Graduates

    Gladys Gudino, the first BEF scholar, graduated from the University of California Los Angeles in 2007 with a Bachelors Degree in History and minors in Spanish and Chicana/Chicano Studies. Gladys subsequently earned a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology from Santa Clara University with an emphasis in Correctional Psychology. She is a licensed Marriage, Family and Child therapist with her own private practice. She has worked with youth in various settings including youth development, special and alternative education, high school and college success, juvenile detention camps and rehabilitation in foster care. Video Link
    Jessica Hamon graduated from the University of California Berkeley in 2008 with a Bachelors Degree in Cell and Developmental Biology. Jessica went on to earn a Masters of Public Health Degree from Yale University, then enrolled in medical school at the University of California Davis as the recipient of the Mission Scholarship. She has been a Behavioral Health Educator counseling morbidly obese patients. She is currently working for the Placer County Department of Public Health as Hospital Preparedness Program Coordinator whose official title is Health Education Program Coordinator-II Video Link
    Jose Serrano graduated from the University of California Berkeley in 2009 with a Bachelors Degree in Civil Engineering, subsequently earned a Masters Degree in Geotechnical Engineering from the University of California Berkeley, and completed his Professional Engineer (PE) certifications. Upon graduation, he worked for a geotechnical engineering firm in Berkeley for six years helping design foundations for buildings while mitigating the risks from geologic hazards. He currently works as a Civil Engineer project manager for Pioneer Engineering & Environmental Services, LLC located in Chicago, Illinois providing foundation recommendations for residential and commercial buildings. Video Link
    José Ivan Arreola graduated with three distinguished student awards from Santa Clara University in 2010 with a Bachelors Degree in Political Science and minors in History and Ethnic Studies. After graduation, he was the outreach director of Educators for Fair Consideration (E4FC), now known as Immigrants Rising. José served as a Mental Health & Community Engagement Specialist for the Resiliency in Communities after Stress and Trauma (ReCAST) program through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) of the Federal Government, working with communities in Texas, Minnesota, Maryland, California, Missouri and Michigan. 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 the Founder and Executive Director of the Genesis Healing Institute, an organization that supports healing ecosystems within communities directly impacted by historic, institutional, and systemic violence in the United States. Video Link
    Amy Ferreccio graduated from the University of California Santa Cruz in 2011 with a Bachelors Degree in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology and a minor in Chemistry. She subsequently earned a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Washington in Seattle and is currently a Senior Fellow at the University of Washington, researching cellular signaling in neurodevelopment and disease. Video Link
    Jonathan Torres graduated from the University of California San Diego in 2013 with a Bachelors Degree in Human Biology. As an undergraduate he interned at the Stephen Mayfield Lab, gaining valuable skills in molecular biology and biochemistry. After graduating from college he has been in the Andrew Ward Lab at The Scripps Research Institute (La Jolla, CA) doing biomedical research related to infections such as malaria, HIV, and most recently, COVID-19. Video Link
    Angelica Mantilla attended Foothill Community College and then transferred to the University of California Berkeley where she graduated in 2014 with a Bachelors Degree in Legal Studies with Highest Honors. After graduation, Angelica worked for an immigration law firm in San Francisco. More recently she has been a legal assistant in the Patent Department of the law firm of Fenwick and West. In addition to her work as a legal assistant, Angelica provides extensive pro bono services, recently volunteering at Dilley Immigration Detention Center helping detained immigrants apply for asylum. Video Link
    Brian Guzman graduated from the California Polytechnic Institute Pomona in 2016 with a Bachelors Degree in Computer Information Systems. Since graduation, he has worked as a Software Engineer at high tech companies in the Bay Area. He is currently working for the software logistics company, Keep Truckin. Video Link
    Cassandra Magana Garcia graduated from the California Polytechnic Institute Pomona in 2016 with a Bachelors Degree in Hospitality Management. Following graduation, she was accepted into Marriott’s Voyage Program and started her career as a Regional Sales Manager for Marriott International. Cassandra is currently working as a Senior Sales Development Representative for software company Sumo Logic, where she was recently named SDR of the year. Video Link
    Ana Raquel Gómez-Pérez graduated from Santa Clara University in 2017 with a Bachelors Degree in Sociology, Spanish, and Ethnic Studies, with a minor in Latin American Studies. As an undergraduate, Ana focused on finding ways to broaden possibilities for underrepresented students from local high schools through student organizations such as MEChA-El Frente, LEAD Scholars, and the Multicultural Center. Ana is currently enrolled in Law School at Santa Clara University and plans to use her law degree to continue empowering marginalized members of American communities. Video Link

    Fernanda Rodriguez attended Foothill Community College and later transferred to the University of California Irvine where she graduated in 2017 with two Bachelors Degrees: one in Business Administration/Accounting and the other in Psychology. Since graduating, she has established a successful accounting career.

    Jessica Fernandez graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara in 2018 with a Bachelors Degree in Environmental Studies. Following graduation, she completed a fellowship with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy at the Presidio Native Plant Nursery, she was responsible for cultivating native plants to preserve and restore the habitat of the national park. Currently, Jessica is the nursery manager at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, propagating, cultivating, and transplanting plants for the garden, contractors, and the conservation research team.
    Video Link.

    Nahsha (Sharon) Wachuka graduated from the California Polytechnic Institute Pomona in 2019 with a Bachelors Degree in Psychology. She works with autistic children at Real Connections and is also a singer/songwriter whose music is influenced by the Afrobeat genre. She has been working with Grammy award-winning producers and engineers in order to spread positive psychology and healing through music. Her lyrics focus on urging women to take charge of their lives and be responsible for maintaining positive attitudes. Follow “Nahsha” on Spotify and @nahshaaa on Instagram for updates.

    Marwan Nassar graduated from the University of California Riverside in 2020 with a Bachelors Degree in Music, studying jazz guitar and performance. Since graduating, Marwan has been supporting himself by giving private music lessons and substitute teaching. As a composer and arranger, he has performed alongside musicians from such groups as “The Pharcyde” and “Breakestra”. He performs on a regular basis with his own group, “Blueseason” and also produces his own music. Follow Marwan on Instagram @marwan.music for updates on his musical endeavors.

    Marawan Nassar Keynote Speech (Video)

    The Current Undergraduates

    Ana Sofia Garay Quezada is an undergraduate at the University of Southern California, where she is completing her Bachelors Degree in International Relations (Global Business) with a minor in Entrepreneurship. As an undergraduate, Ana Sofia is learning the necessary tools to become a successful entrepreneur by participating in Delta Phi Epsilon (USC’s Professional Foreign Service and International Relations Fraternity) as well as having taken part in an intensive studies program in technology and innovation at Stanford University during the summer of 2019. Ana Sofia is in the process of starting her own business.

    Paula Itzel Garcia Tellez is an undergraduate at the University of California Santa Cruz , majoring in Computer Science with a minor in Technology Information Management. She is treasurer of the women’s Lacrosse team and serves on the member development committee for her sorority Kappa Alpha Theta. She also co-leads the Girls in Technology Club at Mission Hill Middle School, teaching young women how to program in several languages as well as how to automate devices with Arduino.

    Crystal Solorzano is an undergraduate at Sonoma State University majoring in Early Childhood Development. At Sonoma, she has joined the academic based sorority Lambda Sigma Gamma Sorority. Within the sorority Crystal holds different positions every academic year, thus allowing for continuous growth in her leadership skills. Crystal also volunteers and gives back to the community, ranging from volunteering with children to serving food at homeless shelters. Crystal currently works as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) with hopes to pursue a nursing career after graduation.

    Mariana Ortega-Flores is an undergraduate at the University of California Merced majoring in Psychology.

    Jasmine Velazco is an undergraduate at Northeastern University in Boston, majoring in Computer Engineering.

    Marco Torres Romero is an undergraduate at the California Polytechnic Institute Pomona majoring in Political Science, with the objective of attending law school after graduation.

    Angel Sarango is a recent graduate of Mountain View High School and will be attending the California Polytechnic Institute Pomona, majoring in Civil Engineering.