It’s time for the class of 2023 to close the chapter to their high school years. Michael Grijalva, a senior from the class of 2023, is now graduating from The Preuss School UC San Diego and is ready to enter his college years at UC San Diego, specifically Revelle College, studying Human Biology.

1. Q: What will you miss most about being a Preuss Student?
A: “Honestly something I’ll miss about being a Preuss student is the teachers and staff, especially Ms. Bandy. She helped me a lot throughout my college applications, and my advisory teacher Ms. Mak because she’s been there since day one.”

2. Q: What is a piece of advice you wished you listened to?
A: “A piece of advice I wished I listened to is ‘don’t slack off and pay attention to class’ because last year, it was the reason that led me to failing Precalculus, making me retake Precalculus during my senior year.”

3. Q: What’s the most memorable experience you had being at Preuss?
A: “Definitely the UCR field trip. I’ve never been to Riverside and it was a lot of fun getting to know a new area and visiting a college I can potentially go to.”

4. Q: Tell me about your proudest moment being a student here?
A: “When I got a sponsorship from a scholarship donation, it really opened up my eyes, demonstrating to me that all my hard work is paying off.”

5. Q: Who was your motivation throughout your high school years?
A: “Definitely my parents. They always supported me and always wanted me to go to university which motivated me, pushing me through my high school years.”

6. Q: What’s the college you chose and why?
A: “The college I chose was UC San Diego because they’re known for their medical expertise, and as someone who wants to pursue a career in medicine, I decided to go to UC San Diego. Also because it’s close to home so I can visit on the weekends.”

7. Q: Is there any advice you would like to give?
A: “Don’t procrastinate, don’t leave everything till the last moment because then everything will eventually catch up to you and especially in senior year. I know individuals who have senioritis right now. We’re pretty much [close to graduation day] but they don’t want to do anything.”

8. Q: What are you looking forward to in the future?
A: “Graduating from UCSD and then returning to pursue my education in medicine, then eventually having that dream job of a cardiothoracic surgeon.”

9. Q: How do you feel about graduation?
A: “It’s kinda nerve wracking, you know, sometimes I’ll be thinking about it like some of these people I hung out with for the last six years are going to go far away, and I just hope the best for all of them, but yeah, it’s just nerve wracking.”

10. Q: What hardships have you faced during your time at Preuss?
A: “One of the biggest hardships was the COVID pandemic. I think for me in freshman, sophomore year, it was that transition phase from middle school to high school. That was the biggest hardship because COVID took a lot from me, and it was just like very physically and mentally challenging.”