Bakersfield Life

larger view

Each year, thousands of Kern County’s high school seniors make the transition to college life, but then there are the few who stand out, making treks across the country to prestigious Ivy League schools or successful California colleges. Bakersfield Life is proud to present 17 of those impressive graduating high school seniors.
There are plenty more than just these 17 from Bakersfield who are also leaving town for their education, but Bakersfield Life has put together this group as a highlight of the city’s brightest students. Among them is a student who has represented the U.S. and earned a silver medal at the International Chemistry Olympiad; another who was born in Russia; one who looks forward to graduating college to start a business and help his family who sacrificed for him. There’s one who has to travel more than an hour each way every day for school, one who is a yellow belt in Kung Fu San Soo, and one who is making Lamont proud by being the first from the small town to ever be accepted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
And then there is Golden Valley’s Christian Perez, who is about to join his two brothers in New Haven, Conn., attending Yale University.
So here they are. Bakersfield’s brightest for 2008.
 

Kseniya Astakhova
Stockdale High School
College: Cornell
Projected Major: Economics
Grade Point Average: 4.5

Life for Ksenyia Astakhova hasn’t been the same as most of her high school peers. Born in Russia, Astakhova and her family moved to the U.S. in 1995 when she was five years old. “I don’t remember much specifically,” she says, “just that it was really cold, family, stuff like that.” There’s no surprise then that Astakhova is fluent in Russian, but she has also maxed out the French classes that Stockdale offers and is currently in her third year of Spanish. And she will look to continue seeking fluency in other languages because of her desire to enter international corporate law after graduation. In addition to her perfect grade point average, Astakhova is also involved in Stockdale’s Virtual Enterprise team that placed second in the state as well as the county-champion Mock Trial team in which she has been an attorney for the past two years. She has also qualified for the state forensics championships and participates in Junior State of America.

Dilpreet Tung
Ridgeview High School
College: UC Berkeley
Projected Major: Business
Grade Point Average: 4.4

Attending college for Dilpreet Tung is more than just getting an education, it’s about getting a chance to give back to his family. Tung’s parents came to the U.S. from India and put their own dreams aside to raise their two children. “My parents had goals but they had to support their kids,” Tung says. “They weren’t able to live out their dreams.” He now desires an education to help him learn how to start a business, and eventually get that business going to give back to his parents who sacrificed for him. And his desire seems high: “I say don’t aim for the stars, aim for the planets and go as far as you can go.” Through his high school years, Tung has been involved in Link Crew, which helps students transition from junior high to high school; the MESA Club, a math, engineering and science academy; and the Jakara Movement, a student group that empowers young Sikhs as the next generation of their religion.

Gilbert Casabar
South High School
College: UCLA
Projected Major: Biochemistry
Grade Point Average: 4.3

Different things can make people tick, but Gilbert Casabar simply likes to help people – and it shows in everything that he does. The UCLA-bound senior will major in biochemistry and hopes to go into anesthesiology. But that’s just a piece of Casabar. In addition to personal extracurricular activities like playing football and wrestling and playing in both the band and the jazz band, Casabar mostly enjoys tutoring that he’s currently doing. While he claims he’s doing it for a little extra pocket money, his face lights up when he
talks about a seventh-grader he is currently helping out. “He was doing bad, but he went from a D to a B in one class and a C to a B in another,” Casabar says. “I’m really excited about that.” He is also involved in MS3, an accelerated math and science club, and has played the piano for 10 years.

Emy Wu

East High School
College: UCLA
Projected Major: Business/Economics
Grade Point Average: 4.4

Life as a high school student is a busy, difficult time for all, but few can compare with Emy Wu. Her parents own Feng Lin Chinese Restaurant and Wu has been working there since fourth grade. As she became more experienced at the restaurant and more independent personally, her parents became more dependent on her at the family business. Now she can run the daily operations of the restaurant on her own, and does so almost daily. “I started small but now I can open and close on my own, and I need to because my parents are out of town often.” And she does it without getting paid a penny. Wu will leave the restaurant to head to UCLA to major in business and economics. The hectic college life shouldn’t be anything new to Wu after serving as the editor of the student newspaper and the Science Bowl captain as well as competing in Academic Decathlon and acting as the junior class treasurer, among many other activities.

Eddie Zeng
Liberty High School
College: UCLA
Projected Major: Undeclared
Grade Point Average: 4.4

These days, being fluent in two languages in Kern County is hardly rare, but being fluent in three certainly is. Eddie Zeng can speak English, Spanish and Chinese fluently, which shows just how bright this student is. “I grew up learning Chinese at home,” Zeng says, adding that his parents are from
China. “I learned English in school and learned Spanish in high school.” Zeng does not know what he will major in at UCLA, but he does know how to be involved at school. The quiet senior stepped out of his comfort zone to be the drum major of Liberty’s marching band, and also volunteers at Mercy Hospital and works with elementary school children with math. He was also involved in the Bowling Club and the Salsa Club, where he bowled and danced to get away from the rigors of high school, and is also on the tennis team.

Sarah Higgins
North High School
College: Penn State
Projected Major: Pre-med
Grade Point Average: 4.5

It took Sarah Higgins a while to figure out the last time she had ever received a grade other than an A in a class. Then it came to her. “I had one B in sixth grade,” she says. “That was in my science class. I don’t think his style of teaching and my way of learning meshed really well.” Apparently she hasn’t had that trouble since, putting up straight A’s the rest of the way. But Higgins started her life in a completely different manner than most. Soon after being born in Pittsburgh, she moved with her family to Pakistan where they took part in missionary work. Since moving back to the U.S., she has also traveled to South Korea, Mexico and Costa Rica and will be heading to Africa this summer. In addition to traveling and schoolwork, Higgins is also the publicity officer of CSF, treasurer of the French Club and has won awards on her school’s Virtual Enterprise team. She also volunteers at FACT as part of her involvement with the Wildlife Club.

Christian Perez
Golden Valley High School
College: Yale
Projected Major: Electrical Engineering
Grade Point Average: 4.5

Despite being a part of just the third graduating class at Golden Valley High, Christian Perez can’t even hold the distinction of being the first Bulldog to head to an Ivy League school. Perez is off to Yale in the fall, but he didn’t seem to mind being beaten in the Ivy League race. “I’m a little biased,” Perez says. “I have two older brothers at Yale.” This Perez brother will be the third at the New Haven, Conn. campus, joining oldest brother Alex (who graduated from Chino High School), and 2007 Golden Valley graduate Jose. Perez, a first-generation American, has declared a major in electrical engineering, but still might pursue architecture. He is also a part of the California Scholarship Federation and Golden Valley’s Science Bowl and We The People teams. And as part of his confirmation at St. Francis Church, he enjoyed spending time volunteering at a homeless shelter.

Hannah Beene
Stockdale High School
College: Michigan
Projected Major: International Relations
Grade Point Average: 4.2

When it comes to Hannah Beene, the name of the game is volunteering. Not all high school seniors grasp the idea that some might be less fortunate, but that simply isn’t the case with Beene. “I’m fortunate that I have everything that I need, knowing that so many don’t,” Beene says. “I think it’s important to do something with what I have and help others.” To that end, Beene is her school’s ASB Commissioner of Public Relations. In this role she is in charge of the volunteer work that the ASB does. She is also the student leader of Stockdale’s Adopt A Star program. Beene organized Project Linus, a blanket donation program, and is the secretary of the Good Guys Club, a club that does random acts of kindness around campus. Beene was also a two-time All-Area pick by The Bakersfield Californian in tennis, and the Michigan-bound senior was involved in many other extracurricular activities as well.

Justin Koh
Stockdale High School
College: Harvard or Stanford
Projected Major: Chemistry
Grade Point Average: 4.5

It must be nice to have such a difficult decision choosing between Harvard and Stanford for college. But that’s exactly what Justin Koh is experiencing now, and either school would be lucky to have him. He started taking high school classes in sixth grade and college classes in seventh and, by the way, last summer Koh won the silver medal at the International Chemistry Olympiad in Moscow, Russia. “The tests in Russia were five hours each of practical and theoretical chemistry exams,” Koh says. “They’re pretty much the most difficult tests I’ve ever taken.” Koh is currently preparing to represent the U.S. again in the next International Chemistry Olympiad in Hungary this summer. His love for chemistry will carry over into college where he will major in the subject and look to move on to medical school before eventually beginning a career as a surgeon. He is also the student body treasurer, an attorney on Stockdale’s county-champion Mock Trial team and captain of the regional-champion Science Bowl team. On top of all that, he is an AP national scholar and has been selected as a semifinalist for the Presidential Scholars Program.

Rukayat Giwa
Liberty High School
College: UC Berkeley
Projected Major: Computer science
Grade Point Average: 4.3

There might not be a more enthusiastic senior in this list than Rukayat Giwa. The Nigeria native has plenty of goals and make no mistake about it, they are lofty. She has decided to attend UC Berkeley and will major in computer science. But where her future leads her after that is up in the air. Her career goals are simple: “I want to work with patent laws. Maybe work for Apple or the CIA.” While her future career goals might hold anything from a computer giant to a government giant, her list of current achievements is simply too long to list. She has traveled to Sacramento in the fight against the tobacco industry, is the vice president of the Black Student Union after serving as president one year ago, and is editor-of-chief of Centennial’s newspaper. She even attended the University of Notre Dame’s College of Engineering summer program.

Sebastien Bauge
East High School
College: Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University
Projected Major: Undeclared
Grade Point Average: 4.5

Sebastien Bauge turned down UCLA, UC Berkeley, Northwestern and Texas A&M to attend widely unknown Barrett, but Barrett will likely not be unknown for long. Reader’s Digest named Barrett the top honors college in the U.S., and the school continues to receive national recognition, most recently from The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. The decision to attend Barrett was a simple one for Bauge: “Barrett is on the cutting edge of where it wants to go. I’m basically getting an Ivy League-type education at a public school price. It’s a win-win.” Not to mention the fact that he will be getting that Ivy League-level education while having access to the vast resources of a major research university at Arizona State. Bauge was certainly a leader at East. To narrow down a long list of honors and activities, he is currently East’s student body vice president and is the only person from Bakersfield to Fresno to ever qualify for forensics nationals four years in a row.

Carolyne Vu
Garces High School
College: U.S. Naval Academy
Projected Major: Chemistry
Grade Point Average: 4.3

Carolyne Vu is following a family tradition by going into the U.S. Naval Academy, but it’s not how it seems. Vu’s parents are from Vietnam and all of her uncles fought with the South Vietnamese Army. As she graduates from high school, Vu will follow that tradition, but she will do so for her own country. Vu is very active in and out of school, including holding Kung Fu San Soo yellow-belt status, California Scholarship Federation president, Mock Trial team captain, Ford Dimension member, cross country runner, theater, debate and more, as well as being a member of the St. Francis high school youth group. She also has such a passion for food that she originally considered attending culinary school. So how does this future naval officer handle all of her activities? “Lots of coffee,” Vu says. “Lots and lots of Starbucks coffee.”

Miles Van Kopp
Bakersfield High School
College: Dartmouth
Projected Major: Chemistry
Grade Point Average: 4.5

Going to Dartmouth is always an accomplishment, no matter the student. But considering that Miles Van Kopp is just the second Bakersfield High student to ever be accepted to the Ivy League school, it makes the accomplishment even more impressive. “I’m very excited,” Van Kopp says. “Moving day is Sept. 14 and I’m looking forward to it.” Van Kopp, son of well-known Bakersfield veterinarian Cliff Van Kopp, has been a standout at Bakersfield High since his freshman year. He is the Commissioner of Organizations for ASB, which means he basically oversees club activity on campus, and is in charge of Fun Fest, a carnival for disabled children. He is also the Treasurer and Historian for the Greek Club and has been involved in forensics, journalism, cross country, track and field, swimming and was a two-time member of the Kern County Honor Band.

Lainey Freels
Bakersfield Christian High School
College: UCLA
Projected Major: Life Sciences
Grade Point Average: 4.4

This time in a high school senior’s life can be unsure, and that is certainly the case with Lainey Freels. Despite being amazingly talented in and out of the classroom, Freels is just not quite sure exactly what her future holds. She just decided on UCLA, but her major isn’t as set in stone. “I’m planning on majoring in life sciences,” she says, “but I might want to go into communications with a minor in film, television and digital media, so I guess I’m not sure on that one.” In addition to being accepted to Pepperdine, Westmont and schools in the UC system, she is also involved in dance ministries and music on campus. Her high school highlight might have come with the Travel Club on campus, where she had the opportunity to travel to Spain and France. The good news with all of these choices is that Freels will have plenty of time deciding on her future on her hour-plus commute to school from Bear Valley, near Tehachapi.

Mateaux Gauthier
Garces High School
College: MIT
Projected Major: Civil Engineering
Grade Point Average: 4.2

Mateaux Gauthier comes from Lamont, and the reason that is significant is because he is the first person from the small town to ever be accepted to MIT. That fact is impressive enough on its own, but take the fact that he is also the only person from the Southern San Joaquin Valley to be accepted into MIT this year, and his achievements seem even more impressive. “The closest person to Bakersfield in the valley to be accepted was someone from Modesto,” Gauthier says. It was a rigorous summer program that Gauthier attended last summer along with the small-school atmosphere that hooked him to the prestigious school. Gauthier is also involved with Link Crew --– a peer mentoring program – as well as being the Key Club president and participating in cross country and track and field, the Campus Ministry Team and California Scholarship Federation.

Gabriel Guimte
Golden Valley High School
College: Stanford
Projected Major: Biological Sciences
Grade Point Average: 4.5

Gabriel Guimte doesn’t do things halfway. Despite only living in the U.S. for 10 years, he is already finishing high school with a perfect 4.5 grade point average and is heading to Stanford to study biological sciences with the hopes of moving on to medical school. A native of the Philippines, Guimte came to Bakersfield and just six years later entered high school and got involved, both at his school and his church. In 2006, Guimte attended the People to People leadership forum on medicine at Stanford, which is a 10-day conference where students interested in medicine from around the world gather. “I was interested in Stanford before then,” Guimte says, “but that solidified my desire to go there.” Last summer, he attended the Earthwatch Institute Student Challenge and Awards Program at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania where he helped with research in antibiotic resistance.

Lizzy Baker-Steimer
Centennial High School
College: University of Chicago
Projected Major: International Business
Grade Point Average: 4.0

When Lizzy Baker-Steimer was choosing a college, the decision wasn’t easy. But the fact that the Centennial senior has friends and family in Chicago and has visited the Windy City for each of the past six years helped her in making her final decision. “I love big-city life,” Baker-Steimer says. “Last summer I toured the college and loved the atmosphere and the school itself and the business program is renowned.” Renowned it certainly is. Despite possibly being lesser known than its Ivy League counterparts, the University of Chicago ranks in a tie with Columbia and ahead of Dartmouth and Cornell in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings. Baker-Steimer is planning on majoring in business and got a head start in the field by participating on Centennial’s Virtual Business team that placed fourth nationally. She has also lettered in 12 varsity sports throughout her high school career (four each in cross country, soccer and track and field) and she has also earned all-league and all-area honors in cross country while running on a pair of Central Section championship cross country teams.