Magnolia Public Schools | STEAM Schools | STEM | Charter High Schools | Middle Schools | Elementary

Los Angeles, CA – Celeste Gutierrez has more than one reason to celebrate this Mother’s Day; the 18-year-old young mom of a toddler with special needs and high school recent grad at Magnolia Science Academy-4, Venice, a STEAM-based school located at 11330 West Graham Place in Los Angeles, will join the University of California Los Angeles’s (UCLA) freshman class in fall 2023 as a first-generation student. Although she has yet to declare a major, Celeste has an interest in child development and psychology. She will be the first person in her family to attend college.

Upon learning that she was expecting a baby during her 9th-grade school year, Celeste made the difficult decision of not returning to school during 10th grade. With support from her school community, she returned in 11th grade to complete all of her classes and earn her high school diploma in fall 2022, with a 3.44 Grade Point Average (GPA). 

“Our school community wouldn’t give up on her,” said Musa Avsar, MSA-4’s principal. “We rallied around her to provide donations such as: clothing, books, diapers, a car seat, and to offer continuous social-emotional support. The school’s social worker and Spanish teacher worked closely with Celeste to mentor her, and make sure she felt supported and stayed in school. We’re very proud of her accomplishments and share in her success,” added Avsar. 

Although Celeste still faces many struggles, including caring for a child with special needs, school staff say her motivation and perseverance keep her going. 

“Celeste is a hard worker, and is resilient,” said Marilyn Lopez, MSA-4’s college counselor. “She completed all of her classes last fall, and is now headed to UCLA. We’ll continue to provide support as she transitions to college and throughout her higher-ed experience,” added Lopez.  

Celeste won’t attend UCLA alone. Her best friend, Bryce Taylor, will also attend the university this fall. Taylor is third in his class ranking, having achieved a 3.86 GPA, and a contributing movie critic to the school’s “Eagle Gazette” newsletter. Both Celeste and Bryce will participate in the school’s College Signing Day on May 22. 

MSA-4, Venice, is part of the Magnolia Public School STEAM-based school network. With 107 students; 86% Latino and 96% on a reduced-lunch program or enrolled in a national support/ at-risk program, as well as a high number of English Learners and Special Education students, the school boasts a 100% high school graduation rate, 100% UC/CSU A-G completion, and a 92% college-going rate for two-and-four year colleges. Between 2019-2022, MSA-4 saw the California Department of Education SBAC (Smarter Balanced Assessment System) test scores increase among students with significant learning gaps. English Learners experienced a 56% increased level of growth. According to school officials, small class sizes and interventions such as personalized tutoring, Saturday school, a study-hour program at the end of the school day where teachers work closely with students, and summer school help close learning gaps. 

In addition, the school currently has 42 students enrolled in its 3-year dual enrollment program in partnership with L.A. Valley College, which offers two college-level courses to MSA-4 students. Through this program, students will graduate with both a high school diploma and Associate of Arts (AA) degree. By the time they graduate high school, students are college ready and will save money by jumping straight into their third year of college.

“We are a student-focused, student-centered school,” said Avsar. “We build partnerships and find resources that will identify the need in each child, and provide the support they need to succeed. Just like with Celeste and Bryce, we want to see all our students achieve their full potential.”