Alondra Bahena, a senior at Springdale High School, has been named a member of the Gates Scholarship Class of 2021. She is one of 300 scholars selected from among 34,900 applicants from across the nation.
The Gates Scholarship announcement noted, “Gates Scholars represent the very pinnacle of academic achievement, service and commitment.”
“I was completely astonished when I found out,” Bahena said. “The odds of receiving the award were so low because there were so many applicants. I am very grateful.”
Already accepted at the University of Arkansas, the University of Virginia and the University of Richmond, Bahena plans to pursue law as a career. The Gates Scholarship will cover all costs not included in any of the other scholarships she receives from the school she chooses to attend.
“I’ve always been interested in law and the Law Academy at Springdale High School really helped me see the wide scope of the field,” said Bahena. “I would like to be either a family or criminal lawyer. College will help me determine which one. My goal is to attend one of the top law schools in the country like Harvard or Yale after I receive my undergraduate degree.”
Why the interest in law?
“I started watching lawyer shows on tv when I was younger,” Bahena, a student in the Springdale School District since her family moved to Springdale when she was eight years old, responds. “I liked Cold Files, Criminal Minds and Bones. My involvement in the Law Academy made me even more interested. Mock Trial set it apart for me. As a sophomore I got to make an opening statement and ask questions of the witnesses.
“I also like helping people. That’s why I am motivated to be a lawyer. I want to help those who need representation or might not know what their rights are.”
Also completing her International Baccalaureate work, Bahena is a prime example of the exceptional students who help make Springdale Public Schools #THEChoice.
