Star Graduates 2019 – Sunrise Mountain

Star Graduate María Pérez Portales of Sunrise Mountain High School embodies the true Miner spirit. She is strong, dedicated and focused on the goals she has set for herself.

María arrived in the U.S. at the age of 10 from Bolivia. She said that, at first, she struggled with English until she began picking up books and started reading constantly. She added that reading is what helped her learn English. She stated that she never planned on being a valedictorian candidate, rather it just happened because she has always loved school and learning.

María has always challenged herself by taking rigorous courses and trying new things, such as joining the school’s Robotech team, and enrolling in the manufacturing program at Sunrise Mountain. Currently, María is carrying four AP classes while maintaining a grade point average of 4.731. María has overcome many obstacles to arrive at where she is today.

María will be attending University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ Honor College in the fall, where she plans to major in computer science. She loves coding!

Congratulations to Star Graduate María Pérez Portales of Sunrise Mountain High School!

Check out more of our Star Graduates at ccsd.net/students/star-graduates.