Access Class of 2024

Ariana A.

My name is Ariana A. and I am currently an 11^th grader at The Preuss School UCSD. This year will be my fourth year at Access Youth Academy. I began to play squash to involve myself with my community, learn a new sport, and improve my grades to get into the best possible college. In addition to squash, I play competitive soccer for the Del Mar Sharks and varsity soccer at Preuss. I started playing soccer when I was 4 years old. During my free time I enjoy baking and cooking for my family and friends. My future plans are to play D1 soccer and excel in a medical field. I hope to get into a top college and become a doctor.

Access Class of 2024

Vianney V.

Hello my name is Vianney V. I am 16 years old and I’m a junior at The Preuss School UCSD. This is my 5th year in Access Youth Academy. I am Irish and Mexican, and love to play sports, dance, draw, and do well in school. Since I joined Access I have been able to get more time to complete homework, become a more active athlete, and been able to get involved in the community. I have also gotten the opportunity to travel to Boston and New York to compete in squash tournaments. My future goals are to graduate with a high GPA and become the first in my family to go to a great college.

Access Class of 2024

América R.

Hello! My name is América R. and I am an eleventh grader at the Preuss School UCSD. I live in Southeast San Diego. I am a local community organizer and my job is to spread political awareness and engage the youth! I have traveled to New York, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. to learn more about the political world in the United States. My dream is to influence all minority groups to be proud of who they are and to embrace their identities. In the future, I want to attend an Ivy League institution! My life motto comes from the wise words of Frederick Douglass, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”

Access Class of 2024

Felipe C.

Hello, I’m Felipe C. and I am currently a junior at the Preuss School UCSD. For the past few years I have gotten involved in many activities, but I have committed to those that I’m truly passionate for. Firstly, squash continues to be my true passion, I have traveled to Stanford and Harvard competing in various tournaments. This past summer I enrolled in a course and became a US Level 1 Squash certified coach. In addition to intense daily Squash practices, I am the President of the Preuss Poetry Club, dedicated to the exposure of Poetry to students who have lacked the opportunity of crafting poetry. Aside from organizing school poetry slams, I am also interested in becoming a lawyer. As a result, I joined the MUN (Model United Nations) club, allowing me to become a well informed global citizen. In the future, I will pursue a career in law and advocacy. I seek to serve communities that need legal representation.

Access Class of 2024

Nina

Hello! My name is Nina and I am 16 years old. This is my fifth year with Access Youth Academy. Being a junior, it is hard to find some down time but in my free time, my passions are playing squash, going to the beach, and playing beach volleyball. I like to think that I am a natural born leader and love taking leadership at my school. It is one of my favorite interests in school to be a part of the student government at my school. Besides leadership, my interest in pharmacy have influenced and motivated me to aspire to attend Stanford University. With Access, I am able to take advantage of the different resources I need to achieve my dream. I am excited for my journey to begin and be able to share with you the next few chapters of my life!

Access Class of 2024

Estela M.

Hello, my name is Estela M. and am currently a junior at the Preuss School UCSD. I have been a part of Access Youth Academy for 3 years. Thanks to Access, I’ve been able to travel and attend an incredible boarding school named Exeter. With the financial support from Access and NUSEA, I flew to New Hampshire and enrolled in classes like psychology. During my free time I love to watch movies, surf, swim, hike, and spend time with friends and family. My future plans are to attend a four-year university in California and hope to pursue a career in the criminology field.

Access Class of 2024

Lisette D.

Hello, my name is Lisette D. and I am a junior at the Preuss School UCSD. This is my fourth year in Access. Throughout my experience in the program, I’ve been able to travel to the East Coast and compete nationally. When I’m not working on homework, I enjoy playing soccer, swimming, and playing the piano. However, what I enjoy the most is spending time with my family and baby sister. My future plans are to attend a four-year university in California and possibly choose a pre-med career path.

Access Class of 2024

Talha S.

My name is Talha S. and I joined Access in the 8th grade. For some, that is already too late to do anything, but I have proven that I can it is never too late to start anything. I started out weighing 220 and at my best got after was 155 pound. I have become a top rank player in the program beating and surpassing my peer even without the experience. I did this by dedication and hard work which is something that had help me surpass even people who had been in the program double my time. I am so grateful for this opportunity that has help me find my passion in squash. I hope to keep pursuing squash and working hard to achieve my goals in life.

Access Class of 2024

Zenon L.

Hello my name is Zenon L. I am currently a junior at The Preuss School UCSD. I live in a fairly noisy household with both my parents, my two sisters, and tiny dog who sleeps all day. I greatly enjoy playing soccer for my club and doing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in my spare time. I like to keep myself fit and active by always doing some type of sport. I also like hanging out with friends on occasion and playing video games.

I joined Access in the 7th grade and have had the pleasure to travel to the East coast multiple times because of it. Although I love the sport I would love to one day become an engineer for NASA. I would like to get into UCSD, SDSU, Point Loma Nazarene or USD. Although I plan on staying in San Diego for college I will not live with my parents because I would like to be away from them. I hope to one day be able to help all the people who have helped me get to my highest point in the future.

Access Class of 2024

Madison O.

Hello, my name is Madison O. and I am a 16 year-old junior at the Preuss School UCSD. I have been in Access Youth Academy for five years. I am so close to graduating and going off to college. My dream has always been to attend college where I grew up in Seattle, Washington. For that reason, I aspire to get accepted into the University of Washington and study biomedical engineering and pursue a career in the sciences. Although STEM intrigues me as a main career path, I’ve always flourished in the arts as well. My favorite hobby is writing, especially poetry. Athletically, squash has provided many opportunities for me and given me opportunities to travel such as being a part of the GU17 Nationals Team for four consecutive years.. I would also like to play squash in college and be an active member of the squash community including NUSEA. Outside of my academic and athletic life, I value friends, family, and being involved in the community through volunteering.