FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 25, 2014
Contact: Valerie Martinez, Christina L. Cárdenas (909) 445-1001

Eighty five percent of NLMUSD grads seek higher education, military service

Students from Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District are on their way to bright futures after being accepted to several prestigious colleges and universities, including Brown University and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Norwalk High School’s Valedictorian Jacob Hollman was one of 2,600 students to be offered a coveted spot in Brown University’s freshman class. An Ivy League school with an 8.6 percent acceptance rate and one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the United States, Brown had 30,000 applicants for the 2014-15 year.

La Mirada High School’s Mason MacDougall, who turned down acceptance into Harvard University, is heading to the Caltech, which emphasizes scientific, engineering and technological education. MacDougall was one of only 576 students to be accepted out of nearly 6,525 applicants. With an 8.8 percent acceptance rate, CalTech is one of the most competitive technical universities in the country.

“Our students’ hard work is paying off and it makes us very proud to see their dreams come true, especially since some of these schools are very difficult to be accepted into,” said NLMUSD Superintendent Dr. Ruth Pérez. “We are certainly helping mold some quality students who are sure to have big things ahead of them.”

Along with Hollman and MacDougall, many more Norwalk-La Mirada Unified graduates are headed for four-year universities and private colleges this year, including renowned institutions such as Biola University, UCLA, Richmond University in London and Notre Dame.

According to a 2013-14 survey voluntarily taken by graduating seniors at each of the District’s three comprehensive high schools – Norwalk, La Mirada and John Glenn – more than 80 percent said they are headed for college, trade school or the military this year.

Also surveyed were students from the Norwalk La Mirada Adult School, El Camino Continuation High School and the District’s military and law enforcement high school, Southeast Academy. Of those students who completed the questionnaire, 84 percent of the students had plans to attend a community college, four-year university, trade or vocational school, or the military.

“Through tenacity, guidance and a strong work ethic, hundreds of our students have set on a path to conquer the world,” said NLMUSD Board of Education President Margarita Rios. “We strive to ensure all students within the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District become lifelong learners who graduate with goals and the skills to achieve them.”