Brenden Cerritos (FHS Class of 2025) traveled a good distance from Highland Park to start on an engineering path at UC San Diego – and he is already knee-deep in the kind of schedule that makes calculators sweat! He told us that he is presently tackling Calculus II, along with Chemistry, English, and an Intro Bioengineering course – because why take one brain-bender when you can take four?! Brenden’s college journey has been empowered by his certain peace of mind. As he put it, “The Foundation award does take the worry of money off of my mind.” He put his award money to work right away by buying a laptop – no more trying to do a 30-page reading assignment on a phone with a 3-inch screen. Brenden also gave a shout-out to Franklin’s own College Counselor for the behind-the-scenes help that gave him a smooth landing at UCSD: “Thank you to Ms. Salegio for making this transition to college be smooth as butter.” He admitted it wasn’t easy leaving home and familiar faces, but he’s carrying the grit that Franklin is famous for with him on his journey. We love that he can be honest about his nerves and still stay confident – because, as he reminded us, he was raised by “two extremely strong and hardworking parents who created a stable environment for our family.” Brenden says he is grateful for all the help he has received from both his family and the Franklin community. We are inspired as we watch him strive to make it to the top. Keep going Brenden!
