Venice Student Honored with Gates Millennium Scholarship

An Ánimo Venice Charter High School senior has been named as a Gates Millennium Scholar.

Ariana Bautista, who lives near Mar Vista, will be a first-generation college student. She said the honor means a lot to her family.

"It's just such a huge accomplishment for me and my parents," Bautista said. "They pushed me, and they always taught me education is the key."

Bautista, whose parents are originally from Mexico, said her mother and father moved to the United States for the benefit of her and her sister, a Boston University junior.

"They want me to have a better life, a better opportunity," she said.

Bautista, who plays basketball at her school and is in the yearbook club, plans to enroll at the University of California, Berkeley in the fall. She hopes to major in biology or zoology and plans to become a veterinarian and earn a doctorate one day.

Bautista is one of three students from a Green Dot Public School who was named as a Gates Millennium Scholar. Green Dot Public Schools operate public and charter schools across Southern California.

“They have worked extremely hard and deserve this recognition,” Dr. Cristina de Jesus, President and Chief Academic Officer at Green Dot Public Schools, said.  “Our goal is to prepare all students for college, leadership and life. These awards validate what we have known all along – our students can achieve at the highest level.”

As part of the national program, the recipients receive a "good-through-graduation scholarship" and full financial support for ten years, according to Gabriel Sanchez, director of communications for Green Dot Public Schools.

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