Pueblo High School students tour Ivy League schools

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Students from Pueblo High School and all over Tucson were invited on a trip to Ivy League schools as part of their participation in the Ivy League Project of Southern Arizona. The students have been gearing up for college, and the ones from Pueblo High School were recognized last Thursday for their efforts. That’s where KGUN 9 spoke to some of the students that attended the trip this March.

Marcos Figueroa is a junior at Pueblo High School. He shared his experience from taking the trip and how it helped him learn where he does and does not want to attend.

“I originally wanted to go to Harvard, but I didn’t really like the campus. It’s more of a fine arts school,” said Figueroa.

He now wants to attend MIT and study electrical engineering. “The culture they have over there, it was really nice to see many different communities. I won’t have to worry about being different,” he said.

Figueroa was one of the 11 students that attended the trip this semester. Jiselle Ladriere is also a junior who went on the trip. She said the Ivy League Project helped build her path toward an Ivy League school.

Ladriere said, “I’ve also had high expectations for myself in school, so once my sister got into an Ivy League school, I thought if she can do it then I can do it, too.”

The co-director of the Ivy League Project of Southern Arizona, Corina Ontiveros, co-founded the Southern Arizona Chapter after she and her husband saw a need for resources in college readiness.

“What we try to do is we help alleviate the issues surrounding the 700 students to every school counselor in our public school system at this time,” said Ontiveros.

While the tour of Ivy League schools benefitted the schools in many ways, the project in general serves as a resource for college readiness. Any student looking for resources like this can visit the program’s website.