LNESC Vancouver Equips Students for Success

Sandra Zavala Ortega was overcome with emotion at Fort Vancouver High School’s commencement ceremony, but she wasn’t graduating. At least, not this time.

In 2022, she was there on official business. As a school board director, Sandra was there to read the certification statement — a formal authorization allowing the principal to present the diplomas. The assignment brought her full circle. That’s because fifteen years earlier she was a student sitting in the crowd, restlessly waiting to receive her hard-earned diploma.

This time around, Sandra shared an important message with the soon-to-be graduates.

“Trust when I say that you can exceed above your expectations. Never in a million years did I think I would be the first Latina school board director for Vancouver Public Schools. And I won’t be the last.”

Sandra watched proudly as 320 graduates crossed the stage that evening. She’s returned to her alma mater for commencement every year since, shaking hands with nearly 1,500 graduates.

Last year, she knew 10 of those students on a deeper level through her role as director of the local LULAC National Educational Service Center (LNESC). Like Sandra, these 10 students faced greater obstacles to success, but they had a team who believed in them and helped show them what opportunities were possible.

Latine Leaders Reach Back to Bridge Gaps

LNESC Vancouver provides the kind of support Sandra wishes she had as a student. Her own educational journey began in kindergarten at Sara J. Anderson Elementary, a school that felt endlessly expansive and equally limiting for a girl who didn’t yet speak English.

By graduation, Sandra was multilingual, academically prepared for college, and determined to build a future shaped by opportunity rather than circumstance. But for many students like Sandra, reaching this milestone was far from guaranteed. In 2007, Hispanic students born outside the United States graduated from high school at significantly lower rates than their peers. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, only 56 percent earned a diploma, meaning nearly half left school without one.

Since then, our region has grown more diverse. To improve the prospects of Latino students, local leaders Diana Perez and Hector Hinojosa helped establish LNESC Vancouver in 2018. Sandra became the director in 2023 and now leads its programs at Evergreen, Fort Vancouver and Heritage High Schools — where the student populations have a higher concentration of low-income and first-generation students.

Through its Upward Bound program, LNESC Vancouver provides year-round college preparation with tutoring, mentorship, life-skills workshops and supplemental instruction. Sandra said the program has already helped 520 students take their next steps toward graduation and beyond, and the Community Foundation has been a critical partner in its efforts.

Partnering to Open Postsecondary Pathways

In 2025, LNESC Vancouver received a grant through the Social Justice and Resiliency Fund that expanded access for aspiring graduates who share Sandra’s story. The grant was made possible through a partnership with the Washington State Department of Commerce that is channeling Community Reinvestment Program funds into southwest Washington.

With this support, 45 students who have the odds stacked against them were able to participate in Upward Bound experiences like overnight college campus visits and a STEM-focused summer camp.

As the academic year progressed, our scholarship team also visited LNESC Vancouver’s Saturday Academy to demystify financial aid and scholarship opportunities. During the session, Senior Scholarship Officer Deanna Green encouraged students to apply for Community Foundation scholarships.

More than a dozen took her advice, and six students received awards. Today, these students are striving toward their goals. A few are even giving back as volunteer leaders at LNESC Vancouver, helping their peers prepare for scholarship applications and the transition after high school.

Scholars Demonstrate What’s Possible

Representation matters in all aspects of life, but especially education. LNESC Vancouver keeps recent graduates connected because their stories help younger students see a future that can feel distant or uncertain. These scholarship recipients who are reaching back and inspiring other Upward Bound students to keep going.

Junior Davis – Computer Science major at WSU Vancouver

Before graduating from Heritage High School, Junior knew technology was his calling. He built hardware, loved gaming and was always the first person his family called for tech support.

His other passion is tennis, and he nearly won an individual state title in high school. Now, he’s using the teamwork, discipline and determination he learned on the court in his college classes. He also credits Upward Bound for expanding his horizons through tutoring, college visits and unforgettable summer trips.

With help from a Boileau Scholarship, Junior is closing in on a Computer Science degree and hopes to start his own business. He’s more confident than ever thanks to the support he’s received, and he can’t wait to create similar opportunities for others through his future ventures.

Karina Nuñez Ascencio – Pre-Nursing track at University of Washington

Karina still remembers the joy surrounding her niece’s birth. It’s what inspired her to pursue nursing. Now, she’s wrapping up her prerequisites with a 3.7 GPA and a General Scholarship to help with the cost.

Her path hasn’t been easy. As a first-generation student at Evergreen High School, she felt like giving up. She said Upward Bound helped her recognize her own potential and strengthen her college essays. When she arrived at the University of Washington and doubts started to set in again, she knew what to do. Karina built a support network by joining clubs where she could meet other students just like her.

The power of shared experience isn’t lost on Karina. In fact, it’s why she’s become a mentor and academic advisor for her nieces and nephews who are also first-generation students.

Brenda Julian Pascual – Finance major at WSU Vancouver

A Kathi Joy Wiley Scholarship is helping Brenda pursue a degree in finance. Her dream: become a Certified Financial Planner and help families like her own build generational wealth.

Money was always a big barrier to college for her, but not the only one. Her mother was deported when she was five — a loss she felt more deeply as she grew older. But Brenda says that absence forced her to become more independent, resilient and resourceful. Important strengths for any student.

Community also played a huge role in her educational journey. Brenda said Upward Bound made college possible. Every tutoring session, workshop and mentor added the confidence and encouragement she needed. The experience inspired her to return to LNESC as a mentor. Now, she’s on staff, helping other students access the same support that changed her life.

LNESC Vancouver Helps Students Persevere Under Pressure

The students featured here represent only a fraction of the young people making greater strides with support from LNESC Vancouver, and more Latine learners are succeeding than ever before. Nationally, graduation rates for Hispanic students born outside of the United States have shot up nearly 27 percentage points since Sandra graduated in 2007.

That progress is no coincidence. People and resources are making a difference. Locally, leaders like Sandra and others are reaching back to remove economic, language and institutional barriers for the next generation. And they’ve been able to do more through the support of local philanthropy and public programs like Upward Bound.

At the same time, federal policy shifts and rhetoric have put Latine students and families at greater risk. The team at LNESC Vancouver is meeting that reality head on. They are walking alongside students, advocating for their safety and reinforcing that every student in Vancouver deserves an equal opportunity to succeed. Sandra made this message clear at this year’s graduation ceremony.

“Tonight, I'm standing here not just as a school board member, but as someone who sees you, who believes in you, and who carries the same story as many of you do,” she said. “I know some of you or your families were scared to come tonight. That's not okay. That's not the world we deserve.”

Through its programs, partnerships and student leadership, LNESC Vancouver is shaping a better world for every student — one defined by greater opportunity, deep compassion and boundless possibility.