Marlyn Almazan has big dreams. The high school senior wants to become a doctor, pursue opportunities beyond her hometown of Lost Hills, California, and one day return to make a difference in the rural community that helped shape her.

Her ambition is about more than earning a degree or building a career. It’s about bringing opportunity home.

“I hope to get an education outside of Lost Hills and then bring it back,” Marlyn says. “I’m really passionate about healthcare, and I really want to bring it to rural communities like Lost Hills.”

At Wonderful College Prep Academies (WCPA), Marlyn is finding the academic preparation, experiences, and encouragement to turn that desire into a plan.

And she’s not alone.

In California’s agricultural heartland, Wonderful is helping a new generation of predominantly Latino students embrace their identities, recognize their potential, and envision futures filled with possibility. 

That’s why the CCSA is featuring Wonderful as a CCSA Member School Changemaker — for expanding educational opportunity while empowering students to take pride in where they come from and imagine the difference they can make. Click the play button on the left to watch this school in action. 

Opening Doors, Expanding Possibilities

At Wonderful, preparing students for the future means exposing them to opportunities they might not otherwise experience.

Through dual enrollment, college visits, academic support, and career exploration, students can discover new pathways and gain firsthand experience with college-level learning. Some can even earn an associate degree before graduating from high school.

“We are changemakers here at our two schools because what we do is try our best to eliminate barriers in our students’ lives,” says high school Spanish teacher Eduardo Martinez.

For junior Fabricio Sanchez, those opportunities are already paying off. Through dual enrollment with Bakersfield College, he’s pursuing advanced coursework in calculus, statistics, and physics as he prepares for a future in STEM.

College visits and summer programs have also helped make higher education feel within reach.

But Fabricio’s ambitions go beyond his own success. He wants to support his family and put Lost Hills “on the map,” showing the world what students from his community can accomplish.

Proud of Their Roots, Ready to Lead

At Wonderful, academic opportunity goes hand in hand with cultural pride and belonging.

Freshman Rodolfo Jimenez, who has attended Wonderful since preschool, says the school’s commitment to celebrating students’ backgrounds makes a difference.

“It makes us feel seen. It makes us feel as if we’re being included,” says Rodolfo, who dreams of becoming a biomedical engineer.
Martinez reinforces that message in his classroom, encouraging students to embrace their names, languages, and cultural heritage as sources of strength.

“The biggest thing is them understanding that they have a wealth of knowledge from their cultural backgrounds,” he says.

That sense of identity, paired with academic preparation and leadership opportunities, is helping students develop the confidence to pursue their goals.

“We know we can get you there,” says TK–6 Principal Roxana Navejas of preparing students for college. “It’s we want you to succeed in college.”

For Marlyn, that commitment has created opportunities for experiences that are shaping her future. A pre-med summer program deepened her understanding of healthcare challenges facing rural communities and strengthened her determination to become a physician.

Her goal is to bring that knowledge home.

And that’s what makes Wonderful’s story so compelling.

Marlyn hopes to serve rural communities through medicine. Fabricio wants to demonstrate the potential of students from Lost Hills. Rodolfo wants future generations to know that where they come from doesn’t define what they can become.

Their aspirations reflect something bigger than academic achievement: the power of education to expand possibilities by honoring the communities and cultures that shape us.

At Wonderful College Prep Academies, the next generation of Changemakers is already finding its own voice.

Click here to learn more about CCSA member school Wonderful College Prep and its programs.