 A half dozen Milpitas High School students were recently selected as Semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program. They are among about 16,000 students nationwide in the 67th annual NMSP to earn the designation based on results from the Preliminary SAT exam. In February, these six students will be notified if they have advanced to Finalist standing, which then qualifies them for about 7,500 scholarships worth nearly $30 million.
Let’s find out a little about each of them: Brian Dinh What does being named a National Merit Scholar Semifinalist mean to you? Being named as a National Merit Scholar Semifinalist represents the hours I spent studying and working on myself coming to fruition. In addition, I am elated to possibly get financial relief for my college education through this title. What / Who motivates you to succeed at such a high level? My brother motivates me to succeed at a high level, as he taught me how to have a healthy work ethic while encouraging me to explore outside of my parents' interests. What is your favorite subject in school, and why? My favorite subject is social science, because I enjoy learning the stories of the past as a means to represent marginalized groups and figuring out how to prevent these sorts of oppression from occurring again in present society. What college would you like to attend after graduating MHS, and why? Currently, I would like to attend Northwestern University after graduating MHS, because I believe they have a healthy campus culture that will let me thrive. Also, I think that Northwestern heavily promotes exploration, which would allow me to experiment with other topics I am interested in. Aaryaman Jain What does being named a National Merit Scholar Semifinalist mean to you? I’m proud of myself for being named a National Merit Scholar Semifinalist. What / Who motivates you to succeed at such a high level? I try to motivate myself to succeed at a high level. I’m not satisfied with something until I do it properly. What is your favorite subject in school, and why? I’ve enjoyed history classes because I like learning about the past and how it shaped the future. What college would you like to attend after graduating MHS, and why? I’d think I’d like to go to college outside of California. Looking forward to experiencing new things. Hirva Shah What does being named a National Merit Scholar Semifinalist mean to you? Being a National Merit Scholar Semifinalist feels great since my hard work paid off. What / Who motivates you to succeed at such a high level? My parents have always motivated me to do well in school. I know they have worked hard to be able to come here, which inspires me to do the same. What is your favorite subject in school, and why? My favorite subject is psychology because I loved learning about the different factors that influence human behavior and thinking. What college would you like to attend after graduating MHS, and why? I’m not sure exactly which school I want to go to, but I am interested in some of the UCs for their neuroscience major. Ryan Teoh What does being named a National Merit Scholar Semifinalist mean to you? Well, it means that I did well, and that's good for me I guess. However, I still have to wait to see if I become a Finalist, and that’s what I’m really looking for. What / Who motivates you to succeed at such a high level? Definitely my dad, he sacrificed a lot to come to America and give my brother and I more opportunities than we would have had in Malaysia, and I don’t want that to go to waste, so I’m really working hard to not waste my opportunities for success. What is your favorite subject in school, and why? Definitely social studies, first because I love politics, and second because I love history. History is basically all about politics, and I love learning about historical events and what caused them, because who knows, maybe there’s something I could learn about in order to deal with present issues. What college would you like to attend after graduating MHS, and why? I want to go to the University of Pennsylvania because of all the talent there, and the great location. I could meet so many different people who are at the top of their fields in whatever major they’re studying, and have already changed the world in some tangible way. Philadelphia is also a great city, and it's located in the tri-state area, meaning there are so many different places I could go from there. I’ve also always wanted to stay on the east coast, and get away from California weather. They’ve also got some sick mountain biking trails over there in the city outskirts, which I’m looking forward to bombing. Chloe Yeap What does being named a National Merit Scholar Semifinalist mean to you? Being a National Merit Scholarship semi-finalist is a huge relief to me. I worked really hard to get here, but I still wasn't sure if I was smart enough to achieve my goals. So getting to see all my hard work pay off is really rewarding. What / Who motivates you to succeed at such a high level? My parents work hard to give me the opportunities I have, so I work hard so they know I appreciate their love. I also work hard for my grandparents, who've always been so supportive, even though I visit them every few years and they don't always understand what I'm doing. What is your favorite subject in school, and why? My favorite subject is either English or Social Studies because I love reading and thinking about what’s happening. Biology gets honorable mentions because it’s the only science subject I like. What college would you like to attend after graduating MHS, and why? I’m still figuring out how far I’m going, but my top contenders are: UC Davis for their neurobiology-physiology-behavior major, UC San Diego for their biology program, Carleton College for their liberal arts education style, University of Chicago for their biology and neuroscience majors, and Columbia for their biophysics department. Rachel Yen What does being named a National Merit Scholar Semifinalist mean to you? To me, being named a National Merit Scholar Semifinalist means recognition for all the hard work I put in and allows others to see the potential I have. It honestly feels great to know that I’m receiving this award due to all the effort I put in. What / Who motivates you to succeed at such a high level? My motivation started when my mom began to push me to succeed in school. Over time, I adopted that mindset and began to strive to be the best I can be in all areas of my life. At high levels of academics, my classmates also play a role in my motivation to succeed due to my friendly competitive spirit. What is your favorite subject in school, and why? My favorite subjects in school are the STEM related subjects, more specifically calculus or chemistry. I particularly enjoy the definitive answers and the logic it takes to reason my way through each problem. Moreover, I find that I take interest in applying calculus or chemistry concepts in real life situations, which is why these classes truly appeal to me. What college would you like to attend after graduating MHS, and why? Since there are a few months before college decisions have to be made, I can’t say there’s a college I would definitely want to attend. However, the preferred schools I’d like to attend include the top UC schools. Not only do these two colleges have amazing engineering programs, they’re also close to home!  An inaugural group of high school juniors has set out on a career pathway to open the 2021-22 school year, with support from a highly-dedicated and passionate faculty at the new Milpitas Middle College High School.
“It’s just amazing what they’re doing already,” said MMCHS Principal Karisa Scott, who exudes positive energy and a can-do attitude amongst the student body and staff members. “The course work is pretty intense, but they’re doing great so far.” Milpitas Unified School District’s newest college and career readiness program, housed at the San Jose City College-Milpitas Extension, offers three pathways: Education-Social Work, Health Sciences, and Business-Entrepreneurship. Students were selected from a rigorous application process that included submitting a written essay and video as well as participating in a panel interview. “Despite the challenges of the pandemic, they did all that,” said Scott, adding that they target students who would be the first in their families to attend college but also those with an inner drive for success. “These kids were highly motivated to join this school.” Jazmynn Moore, 16, who chose the Health Science pathway with plans of becoming a psychologist or psychiatrist, learned about the program through Principal Scott and immediately took advantage of the opportunity. “The teachers are absolutely amazing,” Moore said. “All the staff are hands-on and outgoing. They make sure everyone feels supported and welcome.” Classmate Karen Lopes, 16, came to Milpitas from Brazil when she was 9 years old. She applied for the MMCHS program to give her an insight into the college experience while still in high school. “I wanted to get a step ahead and this has been a very good opportunity for me to learn more about how colleges are here because they are very different in Brazil,” said Lopez, who originally signed up for Education-Social Work Pathway but switched her focus to Business. “We’ve had a lot of guest speakers and the staff has been very helpful.” As part of the program, Principal Scott lined up a number of guest speakers from different professional realms to share about particular careers and the many opportunities within those pathways. Additionally, students meet with SJCC counselors to get a headstart for college. Instructor Mandy Lau, who teaches Honors English and Advisory classes, was intrigued by the possibilities of MMCHS when she applied for the job and is appreciative to be an integral part of it from Year One. “It’s really a dream come true. The curriculum is tailored more toward students. There’s a lot of student choice,” said Lau, who is especially jazzed about the community impact project requirement that has students identify an issue within the community and environment, develop an action plan, create solutions, and implement them. Junior Madison Gamble, 16, had been in Independent Study since 9th grade when her teacher suggested looking into MMCHS. After learning what the program was all about, Gamble decided to give it a shot. “It is a great opportunity to make connections to the community and people with shared goals,” said Gamble, who chose the Education-Social Work pathway hoping to gain a broader perspective of the field. “I think this is really preparing us for our future.” Principal Scott hopes to grow the program by next school year for a total of 100. The application window opens October 1 for current high school juniors who would like to join the school this Spring. A parent information night via Zoom is scheduled for Tuesday, September 21st at 6 p.m.  A former lead prosecutor with the Tulare and Madera County District Attorney’s Office who now runs his own private law practice, Milpitas High School Class of 1981 alumnus Edmund (Ed) Gil fondly remembers a close-knit circle of childhood friends that motivated one another to reach their fullest potential.
“The person I am today has a lot to do with my values that I got from my parents, but also from my friends. We were all involved in sports and music, while taking advanced classes since we all were trying to goto college,” said Gil, 58, who attended Martin Murphy grade school, Rancho Junior High, Samuel Ayer High School for three years, and then was part of the first graduating class of the new Milpitas High School. “I still keep in touch with my friends, especially those from Murphy,” said the UC Berkeley graduate (a Political Science major) who went on to earn his law degree from the University of Arizona. “I just found that all of us were a product of our environment back then. It was just a lot of fun growing up in Milpitas.” These days, Gil resides in Fresno where his law office focuses on criminal defense, family law, and representing children and parents in Juvenile Child Dependency Court. He recently returned to Milpitas for the Class of 1981 High School Reunion, which includes MHS state champion football coach Kelly King. “Everybody does it differently. There’s just so many ways to accomplish things in life. But, for me, it was to never be satisfied at any level,” Gil explained. “Every level you are at, always seek excellence. That’s the only way to do it for me. I have a strong work ethic. I wasn’t always the smartest in the room, but I always am the most prepared person in the courtroom.” After passing the California Bar Exam to earn his law license, Gil clerked at the courts in San Jose before being hired by the Tulare County DA in 1994. He worked as a prosecutor for 20 years, handling high profile cases including those involving death penalty, murder and gang violence. “I went in with a class of prosecutors who were all very hungry, and I ended up being one of the top prosecutors in the DA’s office,” Gil shared. “I didn’t lose very many cases.” Looking back at his high school years, Gil credited one teacher in particular for having a strong influence on him: English teacher Ms. Taggert who challenged him with a stringent grading system. “She made the biggest impression on me. She made it very clear that the next steps in our life were going to be much harder than her class,” Gil recalled. “She taught us literary terms and got us to think analytically.”  Less than 24 hours following her announcement that rental assistance funds were immediately available to eligible families, School-Linked Services Coordinator Nicole Steward forwarded four applications, impacting 12 MUSD students, to the Silicon Valley Independent Learning Center (SVILC) for review.
Serving students experiencing homelessness is part of Steward's multi-faceted role as MUSD’s SLS Coordinator. In collaboration with SVILC and the City of Milpitas Housing Department, she has facilitated over $130,000 in rent relief to 28 families, serving 70 students. “It’s the job of the educators, the teachers, principals, and assistant principals to make sure students get educated and they graduate,” Steward explained. “It’s my job to see if there are any barriers to that education and then I work with our community groups, parents and schools to remove those barriers so students can focus on their learning and be successful. It’s really a beautiful partnership." In total, 406 MUSD students have been identified under the Federal McKinney-Vento Act, which provides stability and ensures access to a free and adequate education for all children, including preschool-aged children, regardless of their housing status. As part of her team’s efforts, Steward, who received a Certificate of Commendation from the County Board of Supervisors, has made 57 home visits and issued countless family support referrals that assist families in areas of academics, behavioral/mental health, food, health care, housing, student pro-social/community and Tier II behavioral/mental health. During the 2020-21 school year, MUSD Staff has donated over $10,000 for gift cards and family needs, while the Milpitas community has donated an additional $11,000 to help serve local families. Steward has garnered support from groups such as Hope for the Unhoused, which has led a food pickup and delivery initiative; Milpitas Community Educational Endowment, which contributed over $50,000 worth of computer charging stations; Voices of Milpitas, which collected school supplies and winter bags for students; and MUSD’s Travel and Tourism Academy, which organized self-care bags and a GoFundMe for vulnerable families. |
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING:
The governing board of Milpitas Unified School District will hold a Public Hearing on Tuesday, June 28, 2022. Media ResourcesArchives
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