Mareeli Huerta talks about her journey and where she wants to go and wants to do in life.

Mareeli discusses their future goals, including graduating from college, obtaining a master’s degree, and starting a career in New York. Mareeli applied to almost every UC except Riverside and Santa Cruz, seven CSUs, and many private schools, ultimately choosing UC Davis for its distance from LA, nature, and small airport. Mareeli plan to major in Communication and Design and are excited about the opportunities for political internships. She reflects on their challenging high school years, particularly sophomore year, and the coping mechanisms that helped them, such as spending time with friends and pursuing hobbies. She also express readiness for college and pride in their high school journey, advising their younger self to maintain a positive mindset and never doubt oneself.

Anthony Escamilla asks Mareeli, “What are some future goals you want to have in life?”

Mareeli says “Some future goals are probably graduate from college and get my masters. Then move to New York to
finish my career or like start my career there.”

Mauricio Lopez asks her, “Now that you’re almost graduating in 11 days. What schools did you apply to? Why did you choose those to apply?”

Mareeli responds with, “I applied to almost every UC besides Riverside and Santa cross. And then I applied to like seven CSU, and then I applied to a lot of private schools, I think 18 or 19 private, and I got into a majority
of them.

We both there ask Mareeli which one was your most proudest school to get into.

Mareeli says, “It was probably NYU, because that was my dream school. And then, well, of course, now, because there was an IV.”

Even though Mareeli was accepted to her dream school, NYU, she still decided to commit to UC Davis because it’s far away from home. Even though most people want to stay near home because they get home sick, Mareeli didn’t want to stay in LA. She said, “It’s like, there’s a lot of like, it’s very naturey. They have animals. I thought that was cool. And they have their own small airport. So that was, like, that’s cool”

After we ask Mareeli how was her high school years in APB. Mareeli then responds with, “My high school years were very difficult. They were very I think the hardest year for me was sophomore year. I was struggling, like, a lot, like, with my mental health, was struggling, and then my, I would say my best year was probably junior year, because that’s when I started, like, really, like, getting involved in stuff. Like, I started doing a lot of programs. I did a medical program, and then I also won a scholarship that year.”

Mauricio asks her, “What can you say helped you throughout your four years here in high school to cope with all that, all those problems and situations you have going through.”

Mareeli says, “I think something that helped me was like, um, like, probably like, not always focusing on school and like, but also reminding myself to, like, spend time with my friends and like, go out and like, do my hobbies. That like helped me as a way to like, cope and like, you know, be so less stressful.” Not everyone starts off with a good high school years, but Mareeli was able to handle and cope through all her problems through here in APB and was able to grow as a person.

As Mareeli is excited and ready to enter her college life, she describes a couple of things she will be doing in college differently from what she did in high school. Mareeli says, “High School was very like when I first started, very nervous because I thought I wouldn’t be able to like socialize or like get involved. But now that I saw that I am able to do I was able to do it throughout high school, I think I’m ready to, like, take it a step further and do it in college. I will probably still like joining like clubs, doing internships, still, since, like, we are, like, near the capital, so probably like some political internship or something”

As we end our conversation with Mareeli, Mauricio asks her, “What is something you could tell younger you that would help you benefit now?”

Mareeli says “I think something I could tell my younger self is to not be scared, because there’s there’s going to be something at the end that is going to be waiting for you, and to always keep a positive mindset and to never doubt yourself, because anything is possible.”