For Anderson High School senior Alexandra Renteria, it was a surprise made more special by the recognition of her hard work.
When she walked into the high school’s media center on a cold February morning, friends and family members were waiting for her with the news that she was being awarded a full tuition scholarship from the Indiana Latino Institute to attend Marian University.
“I feel overjoyed with this opportunity for me,” Renteria said. “Even during my interview, I was crying because of just how much of an impact, not only ILI has made, but what my community has made on me.”
Renteria was among 25 applicants for the full tuition scholarship. With Marian University focusing on increasing its Latino population — currently at about 25%, according to Marisa Zambrano, the executive director of the Latino Leadership Initiative at Mairan — Renteria emerged as an ideal candidate, she said.
“She is exactly the student that we look for at Marian,” Zambrano said. “We really look to build and provide access for Latino students, especially the ones that work hard. She is a hard worker, but overall, she also really cares about giving back and we really are about building servant leaders. I think Alexandra is a perfect example of what it means to be a servant leader.”
Renteria plans to major in elementary education and minor in Spanish. She said she hopes to advocate for students in a similar way as her teachers have advocated for her.
The reality of having her tuition costs fully covered for four years filled Renteria and her family members with gratefulness.
“It definitely helps us,” Renteria said. “I was kind of debating on if I would be able to go (to Marian University) or not. It definitely makes me feel safer. Marian has an amazing program for education. It was definitely the school I fell in love with, so I am so happy I do not have to worry about that part.”
Alexandra’s older sister, Alexa Renteria, teaches English as a New Language at Anderson Elementary School. She said having Alexandra involved at AES, along with the support Alexandra has received from her teachers, likely inspired her to become a teacher herself.
“She is working as an apprentice at my school,” Alexa Renteria said. “I think that kind of sparked it and also seeing that I am a teacher, so that probably went hand in hand. I know she loves her teachers at the high school, so that probably provided a lot of grind to get there — to be the same as those amazing teachers.”
Alexandra’s leadership and commitment has also been showcased in the school’s girls wrestling program. Nicholas Rosenow, one of the wrestling coaches at AHS, said she was among those who helped grow the program at AHS. Participation rose from five girls on the team last year to 20 girls this season.
Rosenow began describing Alexandra’s contributions with one word.
“Tenacity,” Rosenow said. “If it was not for her tenacity, the wrestling program would not be what it is. In the classroom, she is the hardest worker I have seen out of that senior class. I have not seen all of the senior class graduates, and there are some good ones this year, but just nailing what she does at home, does her school work, and then comes to practice, is amazing.”
Zambrano said she hopes the recognition being given to Alexandra will inspire those around her and benefit others besides her and her family.
“We want to make an impact on the community,” Zambrano said. “Every time we bless a student with this opportunity, this is going to impact her family.”
Alexandra, she said, “is going to do great things. Now her family, they are all so proud. This is their hard work that they have struggled for, her family, all the sacrifice they made and they are seeing the rewards of that, but the fact that she can pay it forward is amazing.
“Now, the community wins and that, at Marian University, is what we are really interested in — making a greater impact in the community.”
This article appeared in The Herald Bulletin.