Our Scholars    

Hello. My name is Nickolas Harris and I am a future professional football player. Although I am passionate about football, I have some serious educational goals I want to achieve along the way. While playing football at a 4-year university, I plan to maintain a 3.4 GPA (likely in engineering) and become fluent in conversational Spanish. My goals have always been centered on high achievement, but a recent visit to a university campus with (Reaching Our Kids) helped me see that my dreams are actually within reach. I now realize that I already have some amazing opportunities in front of me now. 

My first days of high school started off extremely confusing, but ended up being filled with fun. I am goofy and I love to laugh, so high school is great for me. I enjoy hanging out with my friends and listening to all types of music. To all who support me in the Reaching Our Kids’ program, I just want to send a simple thank you to you all. 

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I am 14 year old who LOVES listening to music (while traveling, sleeping, waking up, showering, walking, etc.). Anytime! I’ve wanted to be a cook for most of my life, but lately I decided to turn to my second love: engineering. I’m not sure what type of engineer I want to be yet, but I do know that I want to attend Cal Poly Pomona for my undergraduate degree in engineering and carry on in the field afterwards.

Lately, I had a few experiences with the Reaching Our Kids program that changed a few things for me. In June I participated in my first community service opportunity at Barstow’s Juneteenth Celebration at Sturnacle Park. This experience helped me get out of my shell (I’m a little shy) and serve people that I would not have talked to in other circumstances. In the future, I think I would like to volunteer for Desert Manna - Barstow. Also, a visit to Cal Poly Pomona helped me see that attending a university on the West Coast was probably a good fit for me. Originally, I wanted to attend NYU, but now I realize that Cal Poly is great for me. To all those who support Reaching Our Kids I say: “Thank you for everything: Your love, support, understanding, financial support… Just everything. We could not be where we are without you. With your help, we will accomplish our dreams and desires.” 

Hello. My name is Sareena Hafey and I am part of Barstow High School’s Class of 2026. Some of my interests are dance, video games, and math. I also enjoy making custom cakes, shirts and cups with my dad, Anthony. I am the Freshman Commisioner of Activities and I am currently on the soccer team. In the future, I may consider volleyball and/or cheerleading. As a community service opportunity, I plan to volunteer as a referee for the the youth community soccer league in town. My educational goal is to attend a good college (haven’t decided yet) and graduate with a master’s degree in education. I am looking forward to one day becoming a math teacher. To all those in my village I have this message: “Thank you for helping me complete this journey and reach my goals.”

My name is Jahmere and my dream is to become an officer in the Marines. Most people would probably describe me as an energetic dreamer who has tunnel vision at times. In my spare time I love to read or watch documentaries about military history. After enlisting into the marines, I plan on attending a four year university (on my GI Bill) and majoring in some form of engineering. Afterwards, I plan to recommit to the marines on an officer contract. I am excited about my future and I have a message for all who invest in my future: “Thank you so much for believing in me. It feels great to know that I am not on this journey alone".

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Hello my name is Kira Silva. I am a freshman at Riverside Prep and so far, high-school has been a great start for me. One of my main goals is to get into UCLA (it's been my dream school since I can remember). I want to major in Biology, then go forward to medical school. As of now I am playing high school softball on varsity. My favorite hobbies are playing softball and watching sunsets. My favorite ROK community service event was the Letters to Santa Party at Billie's Kitchen. It was my favorite because I loved seeing the smiles on the children’s faces.  Reaching Our Kids has pushed me to do my best and gave me great support. Every Wednesday I learn something new that helps me become the person I strive to be. 

Hello everybody. My name is Ivann and I just entered high school this year (9th grade). When I get older I want to play baseball professionally. But if that doesn’t work out, I will be prepared to work in the science field. I’m on the JV baseball team for Barstow High School, where I play catcher and center field. My favorite class right now is Biology and I would say eating is one of my favorite hobbies. My favorite ROK experience so far was last summer's  Robotics Camp (where I learned to build robots and control them using code). To all the wonderful people who support us, I would love to say that ROK has helped me a lot with school-related costs and helped me see a clearer path to college.

My name is Rachel Gonzalez and I am a really funny person person to be around. My hobbies include reading, doing my make-up, and talking on the phone. My educational goal is to attend a university and obtain a degree that compliments my career choice. Although I haven’t quite decided, my career goal is to become a forensic scientist or a writer. 

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Recently, I had the opportunity to do a community service project with Reaching Our Kids at Billie’s Annual Toy Giveaway. This community service helped me break out of my shell and talk to people I would have previously been too shy to approach. Working with Reaching Our Kids has helped me realize how much I desire the independence associated with a college lifestyle. A recent visit to Cal Polytechnic University with the Reaching Our Kids program helped me see things in a new way, and motivated me to try even harder to achieve my goals. This year I will consider playing softball in the spring and I hope to get the opportunity to tutor Jr. High School students. To all those who have supported me along my journey I would like to say, “Thank you for everything you’ve done. You won’t be disappointed in the end”.

I am a 9th grader at Barstow High School who loves to have fun (mainly by playing sports). My plan for my education is to one day attend the University of Oregon and play football for them. I am prepared to enter the National Football league and have a productive career playing the game I love. After football is finished, I plan to be an entrepreneur and somehow assist homeless communities. 

Various ommunity service opportunities with ROK have helped me feel comfortable around different people that I may have been isolated from beforehand. Although I always knew that I wanted to go to college, now I KNOW that college is a reality for me. My simple message to ROK and its supporters is, “Thank you for supporting me and my dreams”.

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My name is Jahmar and I would describe myself as an energetic young man who is very funny. In my spare time I love to engage in anime and read books. If I could describe my first days of high school, I’d say that “anxious” and “nervous” would be the words that come to mind. Of course, I have since settled in and am enjoying the experience. I plan on attending a four year university and majoring in some form of engineering and carry on as a computer technician/engineer. I am excited about my future and I have a message for all who invest in my future: “Your support really helps me achieve my goals and you are always appreciated.”

My name is Dominique Gordon and I am a 9th grader at Barstow High School. I have a passion for academic excellence, but my one of my biggest joys is playing softball. I am an honor roll student and I am definitely headed to a 4 year university. I am not sure what I want to major in, but I know whatever I ldecide to do will be something that I am passionate about. So far, my favorite high school class is AVID. My Favorite community service event that I served in was the Letters to Santa Christmas Party at Billie Kitchen. In the last year, ROK has helped me learn to become a better leader and has pushed me to be great.

Hello. I am a 9th-grade student at Riverside Prep in Oro Grande. One fun fact about me is that I love baking and I dream about becoming a pastry chefd. After high school, I plan on attending a 4-year university and majoring in Business Administration. I hope to find a program that will allow me to perfect my baking skills while learning to effectively run my own business. Ultimately, I plan to open up my own bakery. When I think about the ways that Reaching Our Kids has helped me the most, I believe that I would have to the ways in which they helped me become more confident at speaking in front of others.