Saint Ursula Academy is proud to announce Gabriela Selva of Anderson Twp. has been honored by the National College Board. She was selected as part of the National Hispanic Recognition Program based on her PSAT scores and high school GPA.
“College Board notified me that I was eligible because of my Hispanic/Latino heritage, my GPA, and my performance on the PSAT, said Gabriela Selva. “I just had to submit a few pieces of information about me, my school, and my scores, and they notified me a few months later that I had been selected for the recognition!”
Gabriela says she credits her honors literature and math courses at SUA to her great success on the PSAT. “SUA has helped me to interpret what I read on a deeper level and to understand it at a faster pace. The honors math courses also helped me with my algebra skills and being able to solve problems efficiently and quickly. Saint Ursula offered honors courses to me since the start of my freshman year. I have always been able to take classes that are a good fit for me and my skills in certain subjects. SUA helps determine when taking honors courses is the right path for you, and because of that, I'm able to take courses that challenge me.”
The teachers at SUA are invested in the success of each student and help students succeed at their own level. “I am very grateful for my literature teachers, Mr. King and Mr. Hittle, because they challenged me in a subject I have always done well in. They pushed me to continually improve my writing skills and my ability to participate in class discussions with my own perspectives and ideas. I am also grateful for my Spanish teachers, Ms. Scoville and Sra. Smith, because they have shown me the importance of being passionate about my culture and the beauty of speaking another language. These teachers gave me a new perspective on learning, and for that that I will be forever grateful.”
Gabriela adds that her parents have always been super supportive throughout her academic journey in grade school and at SUA. “They always push me to do my best, but they also taught me that failure is a part of learning that leads to success.”
Gabriela shares she has always enjoyed literature, and this year she found a love for the subject of environmental science. As she ponders her plans for the future, she added “I can see myself going into journalism or something along the lines of environmental science. I am looking for colleges that offer a variety of majors so that I can explore my options. My dream since I was little has been to go to an Ivy League school. This is partly why I have challenged myself with the courses I've taken, and also the extracurriculars I'm involved in. I know that it will be a very difficult application process, but I think that no matter where I end up, I will find a school that will ultimately be a good fit for me.”
“We are so proud of Gabriela and are so happy to be partnering with her on her high school and academic journey,” said SUA Principal Dr. Mari Thomas. “We are honored to work with her to build a strong foundation and we encourage her to continue her pursuit of academic and personal success in college and beyond.”