College : Fresno State Career Goal : Software Engineer
About Lammar : Lammar Carey was raised by a single mother and money was often tight for their family of five . He has worked since he turned 16 so that he could pay for his own expenses and help his mother when she needs it . Lammar bought his own car and then was able to take his siblings to school to help his mom . Challenges , he said , have taught him to never give up , even when life gets hard .
Lammar completed high school classes during his first two years at Design Science Middle College High School , then devoted his junior and senior years to courses at Fresno City College where Design Science is located . He graduated with an Associate of Arts for Transfer degree in math . He is the first in his family to go to college . Although he took a difficult load of classes , worked part-time and was involved in sports and numerous clubs and volunteering , he still found time to tutor classmates in math and was a leader in school activities . His activities included the Black Student Union and the coding club . He also raises money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society , an organization he is passionate about because he has family members who are battling cancer or are cancer survivors . His teachers said he was amazingly adept at handling school , work and home responsibilities .
In his words : “ Seeing people who care for you gives you the motivation you need to keep going , and I know this from experience .”
From teacher and senior advisor Lee Yang : “ Students in this program have to be academically competitive , be responsible , emotionally prepared for the difficult and fast-paced work and be independent . Lammar has excelled in our program , and it speaks volumes about his character and academic ability .”
College : UC Berkeley Career Goal : Business Administration
About Ben : Growing up , Benvilay ( Ben ) Vang watched his parents struggle financially and work farming and other manual labor jobs to provide for their five children . His parents are Hmong immigrants from Thailand with little formal education and understanding of money management . They relied on government assistance to help pay for food and he recalls being embarrassed in the grocery checkout line . This instilled in him a desire to not only be financially stable himself but help others on limited incomes to be better money managers . He plans to study business , which will give him a wide array of career options . Ben likes to read books on finance and has studied business practices and economics beyond what was taught in his classes at Design Science Middle College High School . He will graduate from Design Science , housed at Fresno City College , with his diploma and an associate arts degree . Ben said he learned independence and better study habits attending high school on a college campus .
Ben was in the Junior Reserve Officers ’ Training Corp ( JROTC ), vice president of the Asian Club and played volleyball for Fresno High School for three years and McLane High School his senior year ( Design Science does not have sports teams ). He was named to the all-league team his senior year . He was an intern last spring at Vangold ’ s Insurance . While his parents did not always understand the value of activities beyond the classroom , he said he always felt their support . Ben wants to be a role model for other young Hmong Americans .
In his words : “ In my experience , developing skills requires time and perseverance , and I have learned that failure can often lead to greater success . Embracing failure has enabled me to cultivate my most valuable attribute : adaptability .”
From Design Science counselor Sandra Munoz : “ Benvilay is super focused on his academic goals . He is a very kind , caring and humble student . Benvilay is a very ambitious , high achiever and got into Berkeley !”
DESIGN SCIENCE MIDDLE COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL 35