BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK/KBFX) — As graduation approaches for seniors across Kern County, Mira Monte High School valedictorian Joshua Chavez is preparing for his next chapter — heading to Stanford University this fall.
But Chavez says the moment is about more than just grades or college acceptance letters.
“We’re all, like, standing on the edge of our accomplishments,” Chavez said. “We’re all really proud of each other.”
Chavez is graduating as one of three valedictorians at Mira Monte High School with a 4.5 GPA — the highest possible GPA in the Kern High School District.
Still, he says attending a private university was never originally part of the plan.
“I’d already thought, like, all right, I’m gonna try and apply to UC, CSUs,” Chavez said. “In my headspace, I was like, I’m going to be so lucky if I get into one of those top schools.”
That changed after encouragement from his siblings.
“But then my siblings were like, ‘Shoot your shot. Try private,’” Chavez said.
He ended up applying to several private universities including Stanford, Yale, Harvard, Columbia and NYU, at one point finishing some applications moments before deadlines.
“I literally submitted some of the applications like 30 seconds before the deadlines,” he said.
At first, Chavez believed he would likely attend UCLA after being accepted there and at UC Berkeley. But then came decisions he never expected.
“This one I submitted 30 seconds before the deadline. It was Yale,” Chavez said. “Then I open it — black screen — and I just see a video start playing. I’m like, ‘Oh my God, it actually happened.’”
He then receives another surprise.
“I open up Stanford — accepted,” Chavez said. “I’m like, ‘Oh my God, what am I gonna do? I gotta make a choice now.’”
After visiting both campuses, Chavez ultimately chose Stanford.
“I just enjoyed the vibe,” he said. “I enjoyed the people I met, and I feel like it will be the right school for me.”
At Stanford, Chavez plans to study economics while also looking into a future career in law. He says he hopes to either become a litigation attorney or an immigration lawyer.
“I still want to help my community,” Chavez said.
Throughout high school, Chavez stayed heavily involved on campus and in the community. He participated in track and field, served as president of College Bound, joined clubs including National Honor Society and Spanish Club, and even started his own leadership organization called “Uplift.”
The idea came after Chavez says he was rejected from another local leadership program.
“I didn’t want to get deterred by that,” Chavez said. “I still wanted to help my community out.”
Through Uplift, students helped fundraise and organize community projects, including making Christmas gifts for hospice patients and volunteering during the holidays.
Chavez also attended the Hispanic National Bar Foundation law camp in Washington D.C., where he met Latino lawyers and participated in a mock trial inside a real courtroom.
“It was one of the best experiences ever,” he said.
Despite his accomplishments, Chavez says he did not always see himself this way. He described himself as shy during his freshman year and says it took time to become more involved.
“I know it’s scary in the beginning,” Chavez said. “But you got to put one foot forward.”
Now, as graduation nears, Chavez hopes younger students understand that success is possible — even when self-doubt creeps in.
“If you want to achieve your goals, do it tired, do it scared, do it anyway,” Chavez said.
He also hopes students remember that high school is about more than building a resume.
“They don’t want to see a resume,” Chavez said. “They want to see a story.”
