Think back to fifth grade. Do you remember it? Recesses, tetherball, taking field trips to places that were supposedly educational but were really just an excuse to pack a lunch and ride the bus with your friends? But then there were always one or two students who just didn’t seem as interested in those things. The ones reading 100 books a year and always turning in their homework on time.

That student was Lexli Jasso.

At a young age, Jasso was taught that maintaining a strong ambition was going to be her key to a successful life. In her opinion, success doesn’t just mean getting a good career and making a comfortable living. To her, true success comes from getting a full education, and giving back to the community she comes from and the people in that community that helped her throughout the years to get to where she is today. Lexli feels great gratitude towards two individuals in particular.

“My counselor, Shirley Fernandez, and my English teacher, Ms. Madonna, have been a huge part of my application process,” Jasso said. “Without them, I would not be where I am now.”

Not only is Jasso determined to live out her dreams, but she is also determined to give credit to those who have pushed her along the way.

Jasso found out about the Edison Scholarship from an advertisement online and initially thought it would be a long shot to even apply. However, after seeing videos of other students winning the scholarship, she decided to give it a shot. Little did she know, it would become one of the most impactful decisions of her life.

The Edison Scholarship is a $40,000 scholarship awarded to only 30 seniors every year, designed for minority, low-income, and under-represented students in Southern California who want to pursue a career in one of the STEM fields.

Knowing that one day her sisters, one a freshman and one a junior, would need money for college as well, she was extremely delighted to find out that since she had won the scholarship. Now, her parents would be better able to help pay for her sisters’ education later on.
Jasso’s family has always been her biggest inspiration to apply for scholarships and even attend college in general.

“I want to be a role model for them, and show them that they can reach their goals if they work hard,” she explains.

Though the journey to winning this scholarship was lengthy and all about patience, it was worth it in the end. Even weeks after receiving the scholarship, Jasso still can’t believe it’s real. The moment she found out she won — in Ms. Madonna’s first-period English 4AP class — she went into shock.

“I could not believe my eyes; I was suddenly overwhelmed with happiness,” Jasso said. It was a beautiful moment shared with family, friends, and educators that will not be forgotten, she added.

Using the scholarship money, Jasso will be going to University of California Merced in the fall with her best friend, Lily Galvan. She plans to major in either bioengineering or environmental engineering and minor in Spanish.

Jasso has great plans for the future, and it all started here at Channel Islands, where she has been involved in endless clubs and activities, including MESA, Aca Deca, Red Cross (secretary), Key Club, AP and Honors courses, track, cross country, CLU Math and Science Upward Bound Program, EAOP program, and the NAVSEE Pre- Engineering Program. All of that, and Jasso has even managed to maintain a job at Taco Bell since she was 16.

This summer, she will be participating in a paid summer internship for biotechnology research in cardiogenesis and oral microbiome.

I’m sure at this point most of you are wondering, how can I be exactly like her? Jasso’s best advice is to “be involved in school and surround [yourselves] with a great group of friends…and take advantage of all of the resources around you.”

Doing just that is what put Jasso in the position she is in now.