Through Design Science’ s dual enrollment program, Damian has already taken eight classes at Fresno City College and is taking another four this semester.

He will graduate next year with his high school diploma as well as an associate degree in liberal studies and will most likely have fulfilled most of his general education requirements by the time he starts college. His top choice is UC Berkeley, with its highly competitive Haas School of Business.

“ The people who go to Design Science are very motivated. We’ re all pursuing the same thing,” Damian said.“ It’ s nice to have those kinds of people around you. You’ re pushing them and they’ re pushing you.”

He also likes that Design Science is a smaller high school, with just 244 students, and is housed in the new science building at Fresno City College. He is thriving, with close connections to his teachers and classmates and responsibilities as an elected student officer.

At Design Science, 100 % of graduates every year are admitted to a four-year college or university. The goal of the school is to prepare all students for college success, especially students traditionally underrepresented in higher education.

In September, Design Science was named a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School, the first Fresno Unified high school to be awarded the distinction and among just 30 schools in California selected in 2024.

The school was also named to the 2024 Educational Results Partnership Honor Roll that uses

objective student achievement data as the criteria for recognition.

Design Science Principal Floridia Cheung said Damian exemplifies the type of student who attends the school.

“ Damian is a bright, friendly student who brings positive energy to all the communities he serves in town,” Cheung said.“ He inspires everyone around him to be better and makes his community better.”

Damian is the kind of student teachers remember, including his first grade teacher at Yokomi Elementary School, Jacqueline Gallegos.

“ Damian was kind, personable and extremely polite. He was eager to learn to read. He was bright and inquisitive,” said Gallegos, who still teaches at Yokomi.“ I am glad to hear that he is at Design Science. I am proud of him and hope Yokomi helped build a lifetime interest in science.”

Damian said he felt a special connection to Mrs. Gallegos because she motivated him and started him on his academic path. That path has led him to international business.

“ I have always been interested in how money works and how it is moved around between different economies and businesses. I have also always been a fan of numbers and math so it all just ties in to that,” he said.

Damian Mosqueda, middle, works on a project in leadership class with Angelina Neill, left, and Ella Lopez, right.

“ Since there are countries with bigger companies and promising technologies, I want to get involved in that and that requires me to study international business.”

A career in international business will also allow him to utilize his bilingual skills in Spanish and English. Damian is proud of his Hispanic heritage and has participated in folklorico dance since he was in elementary school. He is currently part of the Folklorico dance group at Fresno High School.

Like most students at Design Science, Damian is a first generation college student. His parents are immigrants from Mexico, coming to the United States to pursue a better life. He’ s always been inspired by his parents’ work ethic— his dad is a carpenter, and his mom has a face-painting business— and wants to make them proud.

Damian Mosqueda has been performing in folklorico groups since he was young. At his right is Josue Lopez.