Goldberg Scholars

Pedro has a deep passion for biology and medicine and he hopes to become a doctor and make healthcare more accessible to those who need it most. He has been a dedicated scholar/athlete at Pinewood School, playing on the Varsity Football and Varsity Soccer teams while also being in the Cooking Club. He has also devoted significant volunteer time to Green Coalition, Peninsula Bridge After School Tutoring, Pets in Need, as well as babysitting and dedicating himself to family responsibilities. His curiosity about the human body and commitment to helping others have shaped his academic and career goals. He was our first participant in the UT Austin Summer Medicine Academy where he studied biology and medicine, gaining hands-on exposure to medical practices and ethical decision-making and reinforcing his desire to pursue medicine. As a first-generation Latino student, Pedro values mentorship and takes every opportunity to learn, whether through Peninsula Bridge or by engaging in service projects that support underserved communities.

Karla is an extremely accomplished scholar athlete and a true go-getter at Los Altos High School. With her incredible ambition and drive she dreams of going into medicine, especially pediatrics. Taking all honors level classes, she is a school leader, serving as President and past Secretary of the Filipino Student Union, a member of Student Council, and co-president of the AVID Council. She has also been a dedicated player on both the Varsity Basketball and Varsity Flag Football teams at Los Altos High. At the Pediatric Internship Program at Stanford, she furthered her love of medicine while researching the associations between e-cigarette use and depression. She was also selected for the Genomics Research Internship Program at Stanford where she learned how to use R-Studio to code and find gender differences in the microbiome. She currently dedicates time weekly to working as an assistant for Kaname Chiropractic.

Camila is a steady and compassionate presence in both her family and community. With academic strengths in biology and math, she plans to major in public health to address disparities in healthcare access and emotional support for underserved communities. As the eldest daughter, Camila naturally stepped into a leadership role – guiding her younger siblings and supporting her mother through life’s challenges. Whether mentoring young women as vice president of her church’s youth group or offering care and comfort to patients during her internship at Stanford’s Emergency Department, she thrives in roles that center empathy and service. From learning CPR and clinical skills to shadowing nurses and setting career goals with her mentor, Camila approaches every opportunity with quiet strength and is ready to make a meaningful impact in the world through her pursuits in the public health space.

A dedicated student at St. Francis High School where he engages deeply as a Holy Cross Achiever, William has developed a passion for business and finance. His interest in financial systems was solidified during his internship at AvidBank, where he gained insight into banking operations and small business lending. A natural leader, he has mentored younger students as a teaching assistant for Peninsula Bridge, worked as a summer TA at Camp Galileo, and babysits weekly throughout the year. Beyond academics, William has been a competitive athlete on the St. Francis Varsity Football, Track & Field, and Varsity Wrestling teams. He has cultivated a passion as a fragrance enthusiast with a collection of over 15 colognes, and he sees scent as a powerful tool for confidence and storytelling, much like the strategy behind financial decisions. Whether analyzing markets, coaching peers, or selecting the perfect fragrance, William approaches everything with intention, discipline, and a commitment to self-improvement.

Erick has a passion for STEM and plans to pursue a health-related field as a professional of color in STEM. At Hillsdale High School, Erick has been a prominent and engaged community member in Latinos Unidos, the Biotech Club, and Science Bowl and he serves as a Steering Committee member for Hillsdale Effect where he has helped increase membership and committed time to raise money and travel to meet and empower Guatemalan women through micro-loans & business education. He was also selected in 10th grade for a full week summer leadership program - Rotary Youth Leaders. Erick balances his part time job at Shake Shack where he has worked since 10th grade, the competitive world of Muay Thai Martial Arts, his passion for teaching himself electric jazz piano, volunteering weekly for the Immigration Institute, and significant family responsibilities with his intellectual pursuits in the field of Neuroscience. Last summer he participated in a Kaiser Permanente Shadow event as well as the Clinical Anatomy Summer Program at Stanford where he discovered the neuroscience field. Independently, he researched and enrolled in free monthly UCLA Neuro Webinars, Neuroscience classes on EngimaU, and several forums on neuroscience.

Dulce will be attending Washington University of St. Louis where she will be studying Computer Science and Engineering as a Questbridge Scholar. A top student at Mountain View High School, Dulce is a highly motivated and intellectually curious student with a passion for computer science and engineering, alongside being deeply engaged in the Mountain View High theater, folklorico, and Avid programs. Her love for technology led her to competitive programs like Girls Who Code, the Santa Clara Summer Engineering program, and ultimately to a Reliable Robotics Internship, where she explored coding, robotics, and technology’s impact on society. A dedicated leader, Dulce serves as a Peninsula Bridge Student Ambassador and dedicated volunteer with organizations like Deer Hollow, E3 Youth Philanthropy, and Bubb Elementary, supporting and mentoring peers in their academic growth. She thrives in collaborative environments, applying her skills to real-world challenges through troubleshooting algorithms, using her strong analytical mind, or mentoring students.

Matias has discovered a passion for medicine - especially pediatrics - along with public health and is eager to pursue these fields in college here in California. He participated in the Stanford SMYSP medical program last summer (2024) where he researched and presented on the public health disparities for underresourced populations in the state of California. He has also participated in the summer META Externship, and plays year round competitive club soccer, along with assuming significant family responsibilities. At Menlo, he is a dedicated member of the varsity soccer team, participates in Latinos Unidos, has served as a Kickstart mentor, and eagerly signs up for numerous volunteer opportunities offered on campus such as the annual Blood Drive and Special Olympics.

Gael is a dedicated and creative student with a passion for studio art and exploring new artistic mediums. With a 4.0 GPA at Eastside College Prep and coursework spanning AP Calculus, Physics, and Advanced Art, he enjoys challenging himself across disciplines. His commitment to education extends beyond his own learning – through his senior thesis project, he researched barriers to accommodations for students with learning disabilities in higher education, advocating for inclusivity. A leader on and off the track, Gael served as a Cross Country team captain, fostering a supportive environment and leading summer training sessions for new runners. Whether mentoring younger students as a Cooline Kids counselor or creating in the studio, Gael thrives in spaces where he can uplift others. His ability to connect, encourage, and lead by example makes him a standout student, ready to bring his dedication and creativity to new challenges.

Omar is a driven student whose passion for economics stems from his curiosity about systems of inequality and his drive to find solutions. Aa a student at Eastside College Prep, he consistently seeks out acacemic challenges and growth —staying late with teachers to master concepts, leading study groups, and mentoring peers in AP Macroeconomics, where he helped classmates improve their understanding and test scores. His analytical mindset extends beyond the classroom: through the Stanford Medical Youth Science Program, Omar researched maternal and infant health in rural communities and presented findings to Stanford students and hospital staff. He also mentors younger students as a Peninsula Bridge Student Ambassador and volunteers with Nuestra Casa to address food insecurity. Omar is eager to apply his knowledge of economics to real-world challenges, using data-driven solutions to create meaningful change.

Melina intends to major in art and media as well as neuroscience or psychology, with the dream of going into film animation. As a high achieving student and engaged leader at Menlo School, she has served as the President of the Anime Club for 3 years, been a dedicated member of Art Club, GSA, Chess Club, Latinos Unidos and the Beekeeping club, and has been involved in Track and Field and Homework Club tutoring. She has thrived in summer programs such as the 9-week University of California Santa Cruz Summer Internship Program where she studied the poetry of Emily Dickinson, the META Externship Academy, and the Bridge Summer Academy where she served as a TA and mentor to younger first generation students. Throughout high school she has devoted over 20 hours weekly to her independent art projects including wall murals, sculptures, creative writing, and animation projects.

Luis is a charismatic extrovert at Eastside College Prep who plans to study economics and business in college. He has engaged broadly outside of school and has experienced tremendous growth, having his most rigorous and successful year taking Advanced Chemistry, AP Economics, Senior Research Institute class, AP Stats, Advanced Photography, and a Foothill English class. He was an extern in the Meta Summer Academy, and also participated in the 9 week prestigious Santa Cruz Science Internship Program in Economics where he researched the disproportionate affect of climate disaster on lower income communities. He devotes time to being a volunteer with Nuestra Casa when he can. He assumes significant family responsibilities, including working every weekend alongside his father with his landscaping business.

Kimm will be attending Emory University where she will be studying Linguistics. She is an exceptional student and community leader at Woodside Priory where she excels broadly across her honors level classes, is a student leader of Latinos Unidos and Retreat Team, and is very engaged as a Latina on campus advocating for equity. Outside of school, she has been a dedicated dancer since she was 4 years old, and she also helps manage a team of volunteers in her family's hometown in Mexico where she helped found a school for young women. She has completed two summers of research in public health at the UC Santa Cruz Summer Internship Program and has continued that research alongside a UC Santa Cruz professor during her senior year with the aim of publishing their project research this spring. Kimm was admitted ED to Emory where she will pursue Linguistics - she speaks multiple languages fluently - and other academic areas of interest.

Lucia is a passionate STEM scholar also on the GPS advanced language track at Crystal Springs Uplands School. She is also a passionate leader of the Latine Affinity space and dedicated volunteer for the unique Sciences for Causes program which she helped introduce to the Peninsula Bridge After-School program where she volunteers as a TA. At Crystal she is also on the Track and Field team. She dedicates considerable time to her church where she volunteers with Warriors for Mercy and also founded a spiritual worship band which now has recordings on YouTube. She has volunteered extensively as a mentor to other first generation students, serving as a PB TA last summer, as a Cooline Kids lead counselor, and as as a Crystal FIRST mentor for 3 summers. She plans to study neuroscience, psychology, or cognitive science in college.

Douglas is one of our highest achievers with a strong foundation in STEM, an intellectual curiosity for learning across all subjects, and an innate drive and ambition to become a mechanical engineer and thrive as a professional of color in STEM. While excelling with straight As in his honors STEM classes at Los Altos High School, Douglas works 12 hours a week as a Mathnasium tutor in Mountain View, helps lead the Latinos in STEM club to promote higher ed and career opportunities for Latinos like himself, proudly volunteers every week for his Catholic church in multiple roles - Alter Server, camp counselor, event volunteer - , is a Calculus peer tutor at Los Altos High, and was selected to participate in the highly motivating and inspiring Santa Clara Summer Engineering program last summer. He also participated in the Capital Group Investment Series program and has completed a year-long senior engineering research project on enhancing battery efficiency through COFs in ionic liquid gel electrolytes.

Gabriel is a deeply thoughtful, reflective, intellectual scholar who has been a high achiever throughout his time at Menlo School, while also being engaged and involved as a dedicated community member and scholar athlete. He devotes himself to community service, as a volunteer summer TA for Peninsula Bridge for two summers, a Taft Elementary School volunteer, a regular volunteer with Second Harvest Foodbank, and was selected as an Ambassador for Peninsula Bridge, all while playing club soccer at a high level. At Menlo, he has served on the council for Latinos Unidos, has been a top level varsity soccer player for all 4 years, and has helped mentor others with Homework Club. Gabriel is multi-interested in a variety of career fields and has gained significant career experience through the META externship program, Capital Group Investment Series, and corporate shadow events with Peninsula Bridge.