College-bound

Rene Villarreal applied to about 20 top-notch colleges across the country and was accepted by many of them. But when the time came for the Franklin High School STEM Magnet senior to choose, the choice was clear.

Villarreal, 17, picked UC Berkeley, which offered him a full scholarship.

“I decided it was probably overall the best” choice, he said.

Villarreal will be the first in his family to attend Berkeley. Villarreal said several family members have attended community college, but only a handful have studied at four-year institutions.  His parents couldn’t be happier for him. 

“They are definitely excited,” Villarreal said.

Villarreal, who splits his time between Highland Park and Mount Washington, hasn’t picked a major yet. His interests are diverse and include science, political science and engineering. 

His academic achievements came about with the support of family, friends, teachers and counselors at Franklin. He’s particularly grateful to three educators: Mari Franco, magnet coordinator; Maria Soldevilla, college advisor; and Roy Marquez, computer science teacher.

Marquez could be demanding and never accepted less than 100%, Villarreal said.

“He tried to prepare us so when we got to a higher level, we would have what we needed to succeed,” Villarreal said. “He made me work hard.”