Whenever Jennifer Leonides Guadarrama’s family used to go to a medical clinic or hospital, Jennifer would translate the health care professionals’ comments from English to Spanish as much as she could so her parents would understand the situation.
But she wanted to learn what the medical terminology really meant so she could be even more helpful, and now she’ll have the chance.
As she prepares to graduate from
Antioch High School on May 22, Jennifer wants to offer the same assistance and comfort to many others who will need help while looking after their own health. She’ll attend Trevecca Nazarene University this fall to study nursing.
“Out of almost everybody we saw in those settings, there were very few people who could speak to my parents and let them know what was going on,” Jennifer said. “Helping my parents shaped my goals.”
But Trevecca would have been just a dream for Jennifer without a $50,000 scholarship from the YWCA of Nashville and Middle Tennessee and its
Girls Inc. program, supported by the Chaput-Avery Family Foundation. With those funds and other financial aid, she will be the first person in her family to go to college.
“Jennifer’s morals and character shine through in everything she does,” Antioch High School social studies and leadership teacher Audrey Woodward wrote in a letter of recommendation. “She definitely gives 100% and always does the right thing even when no one else is looking. … I can not wait to see Jennifer excel and succeed in college and her career. She is going to make amazing contributions to our community.”
In her application for the Girls Inc. scholarship, Jennifer credited Woodward with helping her gain confidence in her skills and potential.
“She was the first person to ever ask what college I would be attending and what I would be majoring in,” Jennifer wrote. “She had no doubts in her mind about her students pursuing higher education. Her best advice to me was to use all the resources available at Antioch to our advantage to get to the next step after high school, which would be college. In her mind, it was only a matter of deciding and working towards it because doubts did not exist in this class.”
Jennifer’s journey started in Mexico, where she, her older sister, and her parents were born. They moved to California when she was an infant, then to Nashville, where Jennifer attended
J.E. Moss and
Haywood elementary schools before moving up to
Apollo Middle and Antioch High.
She was Student Council president this year and has been active in Best Buddies of Tennessee, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Youth in Government, and other organizations.
Jennifer, who also has two younger siblings, said she hopes her story of hard work, thick skin, and persistence can help others make their way in the world.
“People will try to tear you down,” she said. “Don’t let it get to you. Look for what you want, and work toward that. Just work toward everything. It can come true.”