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OHS senior earns academic honors from College Board

By Harrison Epstein - Standard-Examiner | Sep 20, 2021
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Ogden High School student Asusena Garcia Estrada stands outside the school on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021. (Harrison Epstein, Standard-Examiner)
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Ogden High School student Asusena Garcia Estrada stands outside the school on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021. (Harrison Epstein, Standard-Examiner)

OGDEN — Hard work, dedication and time management. Asusena Garcia Estrada has goals for the future and knows what it will take to achieve them. The Ogden High School senior earned honors from the College Board National Recognition Programs. When Estrada applied, she didn’t dedicate too much thought to it. But after receiving the recognition, she realized the value in it.

“I’m proud of myself and I’m making my parents proud because they provided this for me, they made it so I have a good education. I’m doing my best to succeed, not just for my parents but for myself too,” she said.

Estrada was recognized by the Ogden School Board at its meeting on Thursday. The program was designed to offer opportunities to “underrepresented students,” according to the College Board website.

Estrada and the other recipients nationwide all boast GPAs over 3.5, scored well on one of several standardized tests and are from the “underrepresented groups.” Estrada is a first-generation Hispanic American.

“We’re thrilled that our student has earned this recognition. We are very proud of her for this achievement in the classroom and on her College Board assessments,” Ogden High School Principal Shauna Haney said of Estrada in a press release. “These programs help students from underrepresented backgrounds stand out to colleges during admissions.”

Estrada has her sights set on attending the University of Utah once, she says, she gets her ACT score up a few more points. Utah jumped to the top of her college list because of its opportunities for students looking to break into the medical fields.

She is currently working on becoming a certified nursing assistant. From there, she plans on becoming a labor and delivery nurse before, possibly, becoming an obstetrician. For now though, Estrada spends her time after school working at Arby’s.

With shifts extending into the night, Estrada said this has lead to waking up earlier in the morning to finish homework. Developing her time-management skills and figuring out how to make everything happen is key in Estrada’s continued successes — especially coming out of a year of hybrid learning.

“I struggled with online school because I like in-person learning; it helps me more. With online school, I felt like I was falling back a little bit, but by the end of it I got motivated again,” Estrada said. “I like school, I like doing all the work and I felt like when we were doing online school I wasn’t getting the full experience.”

It took until the end of the school year for Estrada to feel like she had a handle on online school and how to get the most out of it by doing everything possible to stay positive about her schoolwork and herself.

Playing a significant part in her journey of self-improvement and clarity were Estrada’s teachers. She named Natalie Day, a career and technical education science teacher, and Todd Scott, who teaches social studies, as two who’ve helped her achieve and grow.

“They’ve always encouraged me to do better and they’re always checking up on me and they’re like friends,” she said. “Every time I go to class with them, I’m always happy to be there.”

This recognition is a first step. It’s an acknowledgement of the work she’s put in thus far and a sign of what’s to come. So for now, she’s just grateful for the honor — and looking forward to everything that comes next.

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