Watsonville High School senior Acuzena Sandoval had her pick of colleges — from several UC campuses to the Ivy League.
She chose Stanford.
The decision capped years of academic work rooted in a clear goal: using science and engineering to address the environmental challenges she has seen firsthand growing up in an agricultural community.
“Growing up in an agricultural town, I want to go into a field that benefits the people closest to me,” she said. “Stanford offers strong programs connected to agriculture, engineering and advocacy. It felt like the best place to combine those interests. And honestly, I wouldn’t have to deal with snow.”
Sandoval, 17, plans to study environmental engineering, focusing on atmospheric and data science—interests shaped by recent disasters close to home.
“I saw how much damage climate events can cause in our community,” she said, pointing to the 2021 fires and 2023 storms. “The Pajaro levee failure was devastating. That pushed me to combine my interest in STEM with helping people. I want to mitigate the effects of climate change locally and improve access to resources and infrastructure.”
At Watsonville High, Sandoval built that focus both inside and outside the classroom. She is part of the school’s Environmental Academy and leads the SAVE (Students Against a Violated Earth) Club, while also competing in cross-country and track and field.
Her academic path has extended beyond campus. Through dual enrollment at Cabrillo College, she took courses including cybersecurity and information technology, and she sought out programs that exposed her to research and real-world problem-solving.
In a Stanford internship, she worked on medical imaging and machine learning, building an algorithm from scratch.
“I was the youngest in my group,” she said. “It was intense, but I learned a lot.”
She later joined a UC Berkeley program focused on reducing pesticide use, where she developed and presented solutions aimed at agricultural communities. She also participated in the Watsonville Ivy League Project, which she said helped her grow socially and academically.
Last summer, Sandoval attended MIT’s Introduction to Engineering and Science, a six-week program that combined coursework in physics, calculus, chemistry, economics and humanities. As part of the program, she wrote a 10,000-word paper advocating for more resources for agricultural workers.
She also interns with Regeneración—Pajaro Valley Climate Action, continuing her focus on local environmental issues.
Now, as graduation approaches, Sandoval said she feels both nervous and ready.
“I’m a little scared to leave home,” she said. “But I’m also excited. I’ve worked hard to find resources here, and now they’ll be more accessible at college.”
She hopes her path sends a message to younger students in Watsonville.
“Be open to new experiences and to talking with people,” she said. “You’re going to make mistakes — that’s how you learn. Don’t see mistakes as barriers, but as part of your growth.”
“I just want people to know that students from Watsonville High can succeed,” she said. “There’s a perception that you need to go to private schools or other districts, but that’s not true. There are so many opportunities here — you just have to be willing to pursue them.”
