Ellery Juarez (‘23) and Christian Montalvo-Yanez (‘23) will both be graduating Preuss this June. As friends since the ninth grade, they are ecstatic to finally depart from high school and have a few last words to share with the Preuss community.

Ellery will be attending University of California, Los Angeles, this fall, majoring in Electrical Engineering, while Christian Montalvo-Yanez will be attending University of California, San Diego, majoring in Business Economics. They both hope to pursue a career in these fields after graduating university in four years.

“I look forward to meeting new people and joining clubs at UCLA,” Juarez shares.

As Juarez looks forward to what student life at UCLA will look like, Montalvo-Yanez has a different approach to what he looks forward to at UCSD.

“One thing I look forward to at college is independence,” Montalvo-Yanez proclaims. “When I go to college, I can cut off my dependence on my parents.”

Juarez advises juniors to apply to scholarships early and to meet the deadlines that Preuss will provide in the upcoming application season. She also suggests students to build a strong relationship with their teachers.

Additionally, Montalvo-Yanez highlights the encouraging procedure that Preuss provides its students with during the application process. He reveals that Preuss “holds you by the hand” during the entire process.

“They reassure you that whatever you do, you’re doing it right,” Montalvo-Yanez (‘23) stated.

While they advise upcoming seniors to listen to Preuss when it comes to the application process, they also speak on broader life lessons. Montalvo-Yanez advises his peers to pay attention to who they become friends with. After all, the people you are surrounded by impact you tremendously.

“You can have a lot of friends, but you have to know who are the ones there for you,” Montalvo-Yanez (‘23) asserted.

On the other hand, Juarez recommends learning independence and learning how to maneuver around new environments without depending on others.

“Don’t depend a lot on your friends because at the end of the day, you’re the one that’s getting into college, not the whole group,” Juarez (‘23) exclaimed.

As their long but well-spent years at Preuss come to an end, they will be entering a new stage in their lives. Montalvo-Yanez and Juarez will only grow and further their friendship from the lessons they have learned on campus. They are excited to say goodbye to high school, and hello to university.