2023-24 President's Scholars

Marcella Adriana Pedroza

Gwen Evans La Bounty President’s Scholar

Major: Liberal Studies, Pre-Credential

College of Education and Integrative Studies

Activities: Mentor, Bronco Navigators Mentor Collective; Community Services Assistant

One Word to Describe CPP: “Empathetic. From when I first transferred, I immediately saw how CPP has multiple outreach events to understand the feelings and experiences of the campus community.”

Marcella wants to remind others that there is no deadline for reaching goals. Originally a transfer student in architecture, Marcella later realized her true passion for education. Fueled by family support including grandparents who worked their entire lives to provide for their family’s future, Marcella wants to similarly ignite the passion of the Latino/a/x community through raising awareness of S.T.E.M. in the elementary and middle schools. “I have had many teachers who have impacted my life in the best possible. Research shows that only 12 percent of U.S. teachers are from the Latino community. I want to be an addition to that statistic.” She believes in giving back: After playing softball for 15 years, she now coaches her sister, and also serves as a peer mentor because of all that she gained from her mentors. She believes everything she has encountered is a “lesson that happens for a reason.” She sees the scholarship as a sign that she is worthy of continuing her education and will continue to effect change in others.