Hamilton Friends

"Hamilton Friends challenged us to do more than we thought possible and to rise to the challenges we face as a society today."

-Danika Young, '06 Hamilton Scholar

Elena De Jesus Hernandez: A New Member of the Hamilton Family

Each year Hamilton Friends receives hundreds of applications from around the country. From those applications, 35 new scholars are selected to join the group of talented students who make up the Hamilton Friends Association.

A new member of the Hamilton Friends family, Elena De Jesus Hernandez, a 2009 Hamilton Scholar, embodies all the qualities of a Hamilton Scholar: high academic achievement, excellent leadership abilities, and a commitment to community service. Despite some difficult obstacles in her childhood, Elena is now a senior at Liberty High School in Hillsboro, Oregon, preparing to attend college.

In 2003, at the age of nine, Elena came to the United States from Mexico with her father and younger siblings after her mother passed away. Her family had come from Oaxaca, Mexico, a small village where only Mixteco, an indigenous dialect, is spoken. As a result, her father did not know how to speak Spanish or English.

�When we first came to the United States, everything was a challenge. My father struggled to even buy groceries at the nearby store since he did not speak Spanish or English,� says Elena.

Elena and her family settled in Oregon where they lived with her aunt in a crowded apartment. Each summer her entire family would go to work in the nearby berry fields picking strawberries and raspberries. �My family and I are always the first ones to arrive and the last ones to leave,� says Elena.

In the years after she arrived in the United States, Elena attended the Migrant ESL Night School after working in the fields with her family. There she quickly mastered English and developed a love for education. She was soon placed in the regular public school curriculum and, before long, began taking honors level courses.

�In Mexico our village was so poor and small; there was no education program. When I first saw the building where I went to school I was shocked. It was so huge and clean that I thought it was a large company at first,� jokes Elena.

In spite of learning English at a late age and spending many hours working, Elena has become one of the top students at her high school, ranking in the top 3% of her class. She has challenged herself by taking AP Language and Composition as well as AP Spanish.

Along with academics, Elena is highly involved in her school. As secretary of MECHA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan), she is in charge of the club�s meetings and fundraisers. Elena is also a teen leader with Students Today Aren�t Ready for Sex (STARS), a school group educating 7th graders on methods for standing up to peer pressure for sexual involvement.

Remaining deeply connected to her family, Elena has been in charge of running her family�s household since her mother passed away. �At home I cook meals for my father and siblings. I�m also responsible for house-cleaning and work on Saturdays to have enough money to pay the bills.�

Elena has also dedicated time giving back to her community. She has volunteered as a choir director for children and is active in a local performance group called Encuentros, where group members present dramas to local students in both English and Spanish about refraining from drugs, alcohol, gangs and sexual involvement.

�My life has been precious. I was talking to a friend the other day about the opportunities that we are blessed with. Opportunities are everywhere. All you need to do is ask. That�s the greatest skill I have learned. I have learned to ask for help and to take advantage of as many opportunities as I can,� says Elena.

Elena plans to attend the 2010 Hamilton Leaders Academy in Seattle. �I am so excited to come to Seattle and meet all the wonderful people from Hamilton Friends! Kelly Herrington, [Director of College Counseling], helped me so much with my essay. I can�t wait to give him a big hug!� says Elena.

Elena has recently finished her applications for college and plans to attend this fall.

�What I have learned about education is that it goes on and on. Education never ends! That�s what I love about school. I cannot wait for college and the new adventures that lie ahead!�

Elena, showing wisdom and maturity far beyond her years, is a prime example of a Hamilton Scholar. She embodies the selfless and courageous spirit of a true leader.

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"I had an amazing time in Quetzaltenango. This trip affected me more than any other experience I have ever had in my life... I gained an entirely new perspective on life and I thank Hamilton Friends for providing me with the opportunity to do so."

-Jillian Ogren, '07 Hamilton Scholar and Guatemala Leader Week attendee

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Seattle Leader Week SLIDESHOW!

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CLICK HERE to see a slideshow of the 2009 Seattle Leader Week.