Mission Scholars recently honored 29 graduating high school seniors from South Santa Barbara County during a celebration in Tucker’s Grove Park. Along with the honorees, more than 150 family members, friends and supporters gathered to mark the occasion.

Wearing colorful graduation leis, Mission Scholars Alvaro Vaca Mendoza, Brianna Lopez, and Brandon Nnoli celebrate their college graduation. (Carlos Alvarado photo)
Mission Scholars lvaro Vaca Mendoza, Brianna Lopez, and Brandon Nnoli celebrate their college graduation. (Carlos Alvarado photo)

All 29 scholars have enrolled in four-year universities across the country, with more than 90% of their combined total cost of attendance covered by scholarships and grants.

A third of the graduates earned full-ride scholarships, and three were named QuestBridge Scholars, a national honor that included full-ride scholarships to Stanford University, Macalester College, and Smith College.

“By chasing your dream of a college degree, you are doing more than earning a diploma,” Katie Kinsella, director of Strategy, Programs, and Impact, told the graduates. “You are unlocking doors you can’t yet see and creating possibilities that will ripple far beyond your own life.”

Student speakers expressed their hopes for their future, along with gratitude to their families. Two graduates, Milton (headed to Harvey Mudd College) and Yesica (bound for UC Santa Cruz), shared a message for the parents in the audience.

“You are the silent force behind our victories, the unwavering support when we stumbled, and the guiding light that illuminated our path,” they said, one in English and the other in Spanish.

“Through every rejection or heavy decision that came our way, you stood by our side even when the road felt too difficult. You made sacrifices — seen and unseen — to ensure we had every chance to succeed,” they said.

The event also honored Mission Scholars’ newest college graduates whose members have secured positions in finance in New York, and engineering and tech roles in California. Others are pursuing careers in nursing or continuing their education in graduate school.

Representing the college graduates was keynote speaker Brandon Nnoli, a Mission Scholars alumnus who recently earned a BFA from Boston University.

“Walking away from college with a BFA means everything to me,” he said. “As a first-gen student myself, receiving this degree takes me a step closer to securing the life my parents sacrificed so much for me to attain.”

Addressing the high school graduates, Nnoli said: “You all have such beautiful journeys ahead of you. These next four years will consist of so many things and take you to so many places. Stay present, stay open, and allow yourself the freedom to take it all in, moment to moment.”

This year marks Mission Scholars’ sixth graduation ceremony and its continued commitment to expanding educational opportunities for students in Santa Barbara County.

For more on Mission Scholars, visit www.missionscholars.org.