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UCLA Open House: October 7, 2017

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the Chancellor’s Tent before a UCLA game (2017)

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Taking a photo with Joe Bruin and mom!

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My daily attire

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Letter of Recommendation: Mr. Shelton

This letter of recommendation is on behalf of Katrina Torrealba. I first encountered Ms. Torrealba as a sophomore in my American Literature course at Flintridge Preparatory School.  At first glance, I found her to be a strong, confident, compassionate young woman whose facility with language seemed endless. In her senior year, I’ve had the distinct pleasure of instructing her in my 21st Century Literature class, and I’ve found all of those early qualities to be even more stark and true. Ms. Torrealba is a wonderful embodiment of what our school prides itself on - young people who are willing to face/embrace the challenges of a world that is rapidly changing all around them. When I say that she is undoubtedly one of the best students to come through our establishment, I don’t say it to add weight to this recommendation: I say it because it’s the truth.

When I think of Katrina, I recall a conversation that my 21st Century Literature class recently had about Morgan Parker’s collection of poetry There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyonce. I began the class by asking why Beyonce Knowles had become a symbol for consumerism. As the quiet of the class posed with a question completely contrary to their normal discussion topics ensued, I started to think that it would be a very long day. Then Katrina raised her hand.

“I think that she represents emptiness- the sort of hollowness that people struggle against now.”

I asked her to clarify herself- what exactly is so empty about life in the 21st Century.

She replied, “I think that we’re taught and conditioned to constantly want, want want. But that comes as a result of people thinking that those things they buy can nub us from feeling. What people tend to forget-” she stopped for a moment. I urged her, “They tend to forget ‘what’ Katrina?”

“They tend to forget that life is pretty damn amazing, and that we’re surrounded by a beautiful world and all of the possibilities that come along with living in it. Beyonce doesn’t necessarily represent consumerism as much as she represents the idea that you’re taught to look outward to find beauty in the world when you should be looking inward.”

I was floored. I had no idea how she managed to understand the general scope of our entire discussion for the day so quickly, and I wasn’t alone- her peers’ mouths hung agog.

What ensued was one of the most inspiring talks of my time as an English teacher. We looked at some of Beyonce’s videography and discussed her ‘racial fluidity’, but I kept returning to Katrina’s point about our inability to ascertain the beauty all around. Since that moment, she has become one of the leaders in class that I most turn to when discussion begins to stall. She is fearless- willing to both test other people’s opinions and have herself taken to task.

In addition to he roles as a student, Katrina has been an inextricable part of the Flintridge Prep community since I arrived here two years ago, and her creative fingerprints and endeavors are apparent throughout our campus. I didn’t realize that she was a photographer until I saw a few of her pieces hanging in the Fall Student Art Exhibition. I recall how impressed I was by the depth of its feeling and the precision of its execution. I immediately approached her for help reviving the school’s literary magazine Folio and she willingly accepted on the spot. In the coming weeks/months, she embraced the role of wrangling submissions out of her classmates and leading our publication’s discussion over those works. What most impressed me about her was her patience. In the truest sense of the word she speaks the language of art and seemed to enjoy the opportunity to collaborate with others- to learn from them, and to have the opportunity to teach them about her love for design and structure. I cannot imagine the past edition of Folio without her help. However, I think as much as the magazine showed all of us about the power of creativity, it also reminded me of how great a gift being an educator oftentimes is. Having the opportunity to watch a talented young person, like Ms. Torrealba, slowly, surely understand the scope and depth of her abilities is one of the most remarkable facets of my job. I cannot imagine the past two years of my times at Flintridge Prep without her as a student, and, for that reason, receives my highest possible recommendation.

Sincerely,

C.I. Shelton

High School English Teacher

Flintridge Preparatory School

4534 Crown Avenue

La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011

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Full Version of My Letter of Appeal

Dear Mr. Clark and Ms. Copeland-Morgan:

I would first like to start by expressing my immense gratitude and thanks for additional consideration of my UCLA application. As the leading public school in the United States, I recognize the hard work and dedication of the admissions board. The undeniable allure of UCLA makes me proud to have been born a Bruin and yearn to attend the college that has become my second home.

My strong connection with UCLA began with my father (class of ‘82) who made me a season ticket holder for UCLA football and basketball at the young age of three months. As you can see from the photos I’ve included, UCLA has always been a large part of my life. As the years went by, my visits to campus went from trips to Pauley Pavilion and the Student Store to also going to games at Drake Stadium, attending campus tours, and participating in overnight soccer camps where I stayed at Dogwood and Sproul Plaza. However, my tie to UCLA became much more personal when I first learned of the Optimism Campaign. I clearly remember my first reaction to the campaign’s video as one of revelation and pride. The message of the campaign reminded me so much of my UCLA alumni father, a strong community leader who has taught me to work hard, be resilient, and embrace my diversity while constantly encouraging me to do it all with a smile on my face. It was then that I became absolutely certain that UCLA was the school for me.

During my junior year, there were some extenuating circumstances that I was unable to go into fully on my UC application, but would like to take the time to note in my appeal. There were many changes in my life which clearly manifested in my grades as the sanctuaries I found in my personal, social, and athletic spheres began to break down. First was the death of my cousin Cody who committed suicide at the age of twenty-four. His death was shocking and heartbreaking, and it completely changed my outlook on life. Around the same time, my eighty-eight year old grandfather was hospitalized with a heart and lung condition. My grandfather had moved from Venezuela to live with my family when I was born and has been like a best friend to me ever since. Though he is no longer hospitalized, he continues to have a heart issues that keep my family alert everyday. Lastly, I was dealing with cyber bully attacks from my ex-boyfriend and his friends who shamed me for my ethnicity, socio-political beliefs, and called me racial slurs. On top of all this, it was my third year being a part of the school’s soccer team and it was the year that we made it to CIF State competition for the first time in Flintridge Prep’s history. Though an amazing experience, it was a difficult journey for me. When we got to CIF, the average number of hours per week committed to soccer jumped into the twenties - the same amount as a part time job - as we began driving all over the state to compete. The combined stress from my commitments to soccer and academics, along with my family dilemmas, often made me unable to eat and provided me with little time to sleep. Looking back, it is sometimes hard to understand how I got through, however, this experience made me realize that when I am passionate about something it takes complete center stage.

Despite the loss and adversity I encountered during my junior year, I have always considered myself a positive and happy person. Though these events took a toll on me emotionally and academically, I challenged myself to regain my overall level of performance and love for learning. For the past four years, I have attended Flintridge Prep, one of the most rigorous schools in the nation. My school was ranked number three  in California and number eleven in the United States. I specifically sought out a school of this caliber to help me with my mission of attending UCLA. I also knew that to get into UCLA I had to do my best in all my classes. So I added daily teacher meetings into my busy schedule and was able to raise two B-’s in AP classes to B+’s. Doing the math, the maximum weighted UC GPA for the 10th and 11th classes offered to me by my school was a 4.36 and in the end I had managed to maintain a 4.2. From 9th to 12th grade, I kept an unweighted GPA of 3.91.

It is for these aforementioned reasons that the Optimism Campaign’s quote, “optimism is relentless” hits so close to home for me. When I set a goal, I refuse to give up on it and this letter is proof of it. My inner optimist forced me to write this appeal. I could not give up so easily on my dream school.

I believe that my optimism and perseverance make me a great fit for UCLA. I want to attend a world class research university where I can expand my skills and learn to think outside the box. In doing so, I hope to obtain a variety of knowledge to help me possibly fulfill my interest in becoming a lawyer in Los Angeles County. For example, this past summer I took a Chicano Studies class at East Los Angeles College (taught by UCLA alumni Professor Gerardo Gutiérrez) that was so unlike any experience I have ever had during my education. It touched upon a subject so minimally talked about in my high school history classes, yet, seemed so vitally important to the true understanding of California. I became a group leader, though the only high school student in the class, where I helped plan and conduct interviews for our discussion about second generation Mexican Americans living in Los Angeles. At UCLA, I hope to continue my studies with Professor Abel Valenzuela at the Luskin School of Public Policy. It is with this knowledge that I will work to become a lawyer to be a voice for underrepresented communities. In a county that hovers around 50% Latino, the percentage of Latino lawyers in the state sits at 6.5%. For female Hispanics, the number is even lower, making up only 2% of all American lawyers. Even though the Latino community continues to grow, it is still vastly underrepresented in the legal field. As a proud Latina, it is my desire to help change these statistics. To me, UCLA is the only university that fits the bill to prepare me for the next phase of my life and career.

I do not want to discredit the admissions process with this letter but rather acknowledge the strength of the admitted applicants. I hope to have the opportunity to learn from and with these outstanding students. I also hope to stay in Los Angeles and continue to learn from this amazing city. It is my goal to continue to search for opportunities to improve social justice and remain active as a volunteer in the city I know and love. Staying here would also allow me to continue to be an active participant in my grandfather’s life and learn more about my family’s culture. With his health condition, there is no telling how long I have left to learn from him.

I would like to conclude my appeal with something Ms. Cheryl Gaines, Special Assistant to Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey, recently said to me: “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.” I firmly believe in this statement and will always continue to live by it.

If you have any further questions or need any further information, please contact me at 18torrealbak@flintridgeprep.org or (626) 497-9526. Please feel free to contact my references Professor Clarence Shelton at (818) 790-1178 and Dean of Faculty Professor Vanessa Walker-Oaks at (818) 949-5538. I am also attaching a copy of my UC Application, UCLA Alumni Scholarship Application, resume, and a copy of an excerpt of my AP Art History study outline as an example of my work product and analytical skills.

This week I turned eighteen - this is only the beginning. As a Bruin, I will proudly and relentlessly pursue excellence in all that I do for the rest of my life.

Thank you for this wonderful and life changing opportunity. I will keep my finger crossed.

With much optimism and a smile,

Katrina A. Torrealba

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At Pauley Pavilion 

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UCLA basketball game in my favorite dress

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Cheerleaders at a UCLA Football game 

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Outlook photo of my school soccer team, 2016-2017

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Article I wrote about my 2017-2018 Gold Award Project

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Article on my 2017-2018 Gold Award Project 

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UCLA vs. USC 2017 football game 

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My mom and me at a UCLA basketball game