The Monterey Peninsula Unified School District and Seaside High School are proud to announce that senior Jacqualine Ballesteros has been selected as a Gates Scholar and member of the Gates Scholarship Class of 2023. She is one of 750 scholars chosen from a pool of more than 51,000 applicants from across the nation. Jacqualine will attend University of California at Davis this fall 2023. She will major in biochemistry and molecular biology.
She joins an elite group of young leaders - all of whom represent the very pinnacle of academic achievement, service, and commitment - from across the nation.
In a letter from The Gates Scholarship, Jacqualine was notified that in addition to funding her studies, the scholarship will help continue to hone her leadership skills, prepare for professional life, and start building an enduring network of fellow scholars and other distinguished individuals. She will also have access to a range of support services, including mentoring, leadership development, wellness, career guidance, internship and job opportunities, and more."
"In the nine years I have served MPUSD, only two other students have received a Gates Scholarship. Jacqualine joins two other scholars from Marina High School who won in 2018 and 2019," said PK Diffenbaugh, Superintendent, Monterey Peninsula Unified School District. "We are extremely proud of all of our scholars, and Jacqualine exemplifies what it is to be an MPUSD scholar through and through."
In 2018, Marina High School alum Robert Valencia received this prestigious scholarship and recognition. And, in 2019, Amadeus Soria received the scholarship and recognition.