FACES June 2024 Scholarship Winner
College: Fresno City College
Career goal: Elementary teacher
About Cynthia: Through a summer program for Fresno Unified high school students interested in teaching, Cynthia Lopez Leon found her calling. She is glad to not only have found a career path she enjoys, but one that will allow her to help her family financially. Cynthia grew up in a family of eight where money was so tight they sometimes could not pay their utility bill. Without a free hotspot and laptop from Fresno Unified, she would not have had the internet to do her schoolwork. Learning about being a teacher through the Teacher Academy gave her goals and hope for the future. She was assigned last summer to a kindergarten class at Rowell Elementary School, her former school. She worked with teacher Rosa Navarro-Macias, who became her mentor.
Cynthia did not transfer to J.E. Young until her senior year was already underway, but it turned out to be a great choice. The small campus, staff support, and option to do her schoolwork independently fit her life. “I felt welcomed and supported by every teacher and staff I talked to. I never once felt discouraged, and my confidence grew. I participated in clubs, dual enrollment, and school activities that I would have not participated in before,” Cynthia said.
In Cynthia’s words: “Even when things were difficult, I was always pushed to overcome the obstacles and succeed.”
“She was an amazing mentor and role model for my summer school students last summer. I’m so proud of her.”
– Rosa Navarro-Macias, teacher at Rowell Elementary School, and Cynthia’s Summer Academy supervisor
