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2015 Grad Salute
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Blandino, Jimenez top two at CHS
• Gabby Blandino is Ceres High School ’s valedictorian, Juan Jimenez is salutatorian By J EFF BEN ZI GER
D
Editor of the
Ceres (Calif.) Courier
ETERMINATION. Gabriela “Gabby” Blandino chocks up her success – including being named the Ceres High School 2015 class valedictorian – to just
that. “I’m very determined,” she said. “Always have been, always will be. I like to put heart and soul into everything I do.” Ceres High’s top student believes she gets that trait from her parents. Her father, Mario Blandino, a computer science engineer, and her mother, Elisa Blandino, a Modesto Junior College test proctor, modeled for her a hard work ethic, she said. This semester Gabby has earned a 4.8 grade point average (GPA) and an overall high school GPA of 4.357. That GPA helped earn her a U.C. Berkeley chancellor’s and regent’s scholar worth $14,000 in tuition this coming school year. Her original plan was attending U.C. San Diego even though she applied to all UCs, the state universities and Stanford University. “Stanford was looking for something else. I don’t know what to say about them.” Gabby and Juan “Manny” Jimenez, 17, who earned the class’ salutatorian honor with a GPA of 4.279, have been friends since attending Virginia Parks Elementary School together. In fact, Gabby says talking in class to Manny got her into her first elementary school trouble. Their friendship is strong and they say there was no competition to edge the other out to the top of the class. “We knew we were both high-achieving students,” said Gabby. “We were never like, ‘Oh, I’m going to be number one,’ and ‘no, I’m going to be number one.’ It was never like that.” After graduation on Friday evening, Manny will be setting his sights on Cali-
‘I like to put heart and soul into everything I do.’ –Valedictorian Gabby Blandino
JEFF BENZIGER/the Courier
Ceres High School class salutatorian Juan Jimenez, 17, holds the college banner where he is going off to in the fall while friend and class valedictorian Gabriella “Gabby” Blandino looks forward to going to U.C. Berkeley. Both will speak at graduation on Friday.
fornia Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, to study computer science. He’s been working for his father, Juan Jimenez, who has a computer business so Manny would like to be a computer software engineer. Manny also spent time working for Don Juan Foods on Crows Landing Road. He’s worked hard to serve as a role model for two younger brothers. “I want them to see that it’s possible because I know school gets hard at times so it’ll be better for them to see like, ‘Oh if he could do it, so can I’ and have someone to go to, especially since my parents speak mainly Spanish so it’s hard to communicate course work to them.” The motivation to do his best school
was also rooted in the fact that better grades tend to lead to better paying jobs for graduates. Blandino has her sights on majoring in molecular and cell biology “hopefully to become a doctor eventually.” “It’s a long path; I’m not exactly looking forward to all of it but I’m ready.” Gabby would like to be a surgeon – but realizes it requires a lot more residency – but she would also like to be an obstetrician and deliver babies. Blandino was born in Modesto 18 years ago. Her mother liked Virginia Parks Elementary School where Gabby’s cousins attended and so she placed Gabby and older brother there. From there she went to
Mae Hensley Junior High and Ceres High. Her favorite classes at CHS were Advanced Placement (AP) Biology and AP English Language — “as hard as it was” – and AP History. She also enjoyed learning in AP Psychology. “All the hardest ones from last year became my favorites by the end of the year because they did push you and you learn for much. They’ve almost kind of inspired me to pick minors maybe and even like double majors in college. I really like history and obviously like biology.” Manny also liked the same AP classes. The pair shared in their love for the same teachers – Laurie Maldonado, SEE VAL & SAL, PAGE 14