Grade: 12 School: Baden High School District: South San Francisco USD ACSA region: 5

When Deysia Teofilo arrived at Baden High School, she was lacking motivation. With poor attendance and low grades, Deysia knew she was in danger of not graduating unless she changed direction. Because of her teachers and counselors and a lot of hard work, Deysia made up enough credits to graduate three months early. She enrolled at Skyline Community College and took two courses: Public Health and Health Science. She hopes to pursue a career in the medical field.

What was your reaction when you learned you won the ACSA Every Student Succeeding award? I was very surprised when I first heard I won the award. And the award means a lot. It showed my family that I was actually trying in school and I was actually getting stuff done.

Can you share a little bit about your story and what you’ve had to overcome? I first started in South San Francisco High School, and I had a lot of problems there. I wasn’t really getting any work done. I was barely going to school. Once I transferred to Baden High School, I felt more at home. I had a lot of teachers and counselors that I felt like I could connect to and actually get stuff done. I graduated high school early and now I’m starting college early. This award really motivated me to push myself more.

What role do you think the school community played in your development and success? When I first transferred to Baden High School, I was still slacking. But I had a good talk with my counselors and my teachers. And they told me, “If you want to be something in life, you have to push yourself.” They actually motivated me. They would call me every day and tell me to come to school. They just pushed me to do better.

You mentioned you’re already enrolled in college. So, what comes next for you? I’m in college. I started two classes: Public Health and Health Science. I think I want to major in something in the medical field. I just feel like it’s a fit for me. How proud are you of the work you’ve put in to get to where you are today? I’m pretty proud of myself. My freshman and sophomore year, I didn’t see myself graduating high school. I just felt like I actually changed a lot.

What advice would you give to students who need motivation to keep going? Everybody goes through stuff. But try to find that one teacher or role model. Find that somebody you know who’s motivating you.