Student: Alejandro Espinoza
Year in School: Senior
Plans After High School: Alejandro has aspirations of attending Cal Poly SLO or UCSB and pursuing a degree in computer science.
GPS Focus: PRIDE
What Makes Alejandro #BulldogSTRONG: As we have seen throughout the course of our weekly #BulldogSTRONG Student Spotlights, students at Golden Valley High School have a wide array of passions and interests. From athletics, clubs, music, art, performance, and academics, GVHS takes PRIDE in having an exemplary and extremely diverse campus when it comes to student interest. For GVHS Senior Alejandro Espinoza, he finds his passion in studying, learning, and thinking about mathematics and engineering. For most of his academic journey, Alejandro has possessed a love of problem solving and has felt that mathematics and engineering were those outlets for him to express his passion. As mathematics became more complex throughout the years, he fell in love with each new concept as well as with the process and the satisfaction of learning new skills and applying them in the classroom. Engineering allowed for him to utilize his math skills while accessing his creative side, turning his ideas into fleshed out projects. When Alejandro enrolled at GVHS as a 9th grader, he joined the prestigious Project Lead The Way (PLTW) program which features advanced STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) courses in order to prepare students for future careers and pathways in engineering. Throughout his journey as a Bulldog, Alejandro is extremely appreciative of the staff that have kept his love of math and engineering going. “There are a lot of great teachers who have taught me a lot about engineering, mathematics, and physics,” humbly states Alejandro, “From Mr. Hopkins, Mr. Wherry, Ms. Dixon, and Mr. Hernandez, these teachers have all pushed me into learning new skills and have helped me develop my love for STEM.” As part of PLTW, Alejandro has enjoyed creating projects with his friends and classmates from machines like 3D printers, milling machines, CNC routers, vex equipment, and plenty of other tools to further engage them. “Most of my success has happened in these courses because of the never-ending increase in challenge and the competition of my friends.”
Alejandro’s love of engineering extends beyond the four walls of a GVHS classroom and into building computers in spare time. For his efforts, Alejandro built his first computer as an upgrade for his laptop and ended up enjoying the process of building it more than using it, so he decided to sell his first personal computer so that he could venture into building new ones from scratch and selling them. In total, Alejandro has constructed ten computers in total, netting about $1300 in profit. The money he has earned from building computers has allowed him to purchase a laptop for college that will last for many years to come. After he graduates as a Bulldog, Alejandro has aspirations of attending Cal Poly SLO or UCSB to get his degree in computer science so that he can become a software engineer at Google, Meta, or any reputable tech company that pays him well enough so that he can support himself and those around him. For the PRIDE he has in loving math, engineering, building computers, and in belonging to the prestigious Project Lead The Way program at Golden Valley High School, Alejandro Espinoza is #BulldogSTRONG.
What #BulldogSTRONG Means to Alejandro: “To me, being #BulldogSTRONG is all about putting in effort into all of your classes and working towards being successful while being proud of who you are and the work you’ve done.”
What Teachers and Staff Think of Alejandro:
"I have had the great pleasure of working with Alejandro for four years. He is gifted in Math, Science, and Engineering. I am amazed by his ability to solve a Rubik's Cube, let alone, in 19 seconds. He has designed numerous projects, runs the 3d printer, programmer extraordinaire, and is a leader among the engineering students.” Judiah Hopkins, Engineering and Physics Teacher, Golden Valley High School
“I met Alejandro his freshman year in my GATE English class. He was quiet, kind, and a hard worker. Alejandro showed Growth, Pride, and Service throughout the year. He grew more comfortable participating in Socratic seminars and other class discussions and eventually was one of the strongest contributors. He also read several books his freshman year. Although he was one of the quieter students in his class, Alejandro worked well with classmates and showed leadership in group assignments. I am certain Alejandro will bring his #BulldogSTRONG traits to the next chapter of his life.” Jamie Contois, English Teacher and ELD Teacher, Golden Valley High School
“Alejandro is a great Student Exemplar and Culture Builder for my 6th period Econ./Government class. He's very dependable and generous with "Hellos" and "Good Afternoons", which isn't always the case these days.” Aaron Wright, Government and Economics Teacher, Golden Valley High School
“Alejandro Espinoza is a student that displays excellence and hard work on a daily basis. His dedication and commitment to learning are impressive. In addition, Alejandro is always ready to support his peers in the journey to success.” Luis Jauregui, Calculus Teacher, Golden Valley High School
“Alejandro is a very focused and diligent student. He does all his work with exactness and asks very thoughtful questions.” Lisa Irish, English Teacher, Golden Valley High School