Santa Maria teen accepted to 4 Ivy League schools

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - A Santa Maria teen has his pick of four prestigious Ivy League universities.

Santa Maria High School senior Andres Ramirez-Enriquez has been accepted into Harvard, Yale, Brown and Cornell.

Ramirez-Enriquez has also been offered award packages that will pay for virtually all expenses at the Ivy League schools, according to the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District.

He says he was unable to express his level of excitement upon hearing the news.

“I had no words, I immediately started jumping up and down and running across the backyard,’’ said Ramirez-Enriquez. “My mom was at my side and she reassured me that I was seeing the fruits of my labor. Needless to say, I was extremely happy."

Andres' parents immigrated from Mexico, with hopes that their son would be able to obtain a college education.

"Being first generation has been a challenge, but my parents immigrated from Mexico for this exact goal. I hope that my journey can inspire the next generations of my community," Ramirez-Enriquez said.

Andres attended Alvin Elementary, Fesler Junior High and Santa Maria High School and is active in multiple clubs and extracurriculars. He credits many of his teachers – past and present – with shaping his future and allowing him to reach his academic goals.

"I have had the best teachers and I want to thank all of my teachers for all the sacrifices they have made to help me get to this point.’’

A self-described student of broad interests, Andres' major is currently undecided.

“I am very interested in the STEM field, but recently I have also discovered a passion for government, economics, and finance. I think that Law school would be a very enjoyable experience for me. For now, I will use the first two years at my institution to explore different fields to truly discover the major that I will pursue.’’

Andres was also accepted into multiple UC and CSU colleges. He says he's narrowed down his choices to Harvard and Yale.