WHITTIER – Whittier High School graduating senior Dylan Carranza is the first Cardinal in the school’s recent history to be accepted to the one of the world’s top universities, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which invited only 1,485 students from 49 states and 65 countries to join its Class of 2020.
 
Carranza – one of six Whittier High valedictorians this year – will explore his passions in science, math and technology at the prestigious research university on a full-ride scholarship worth about $66,000 a year.
 
“My parents weren’t expecting it and it definitely surprised me,” said Carranza of the acceptance to MIT, which he learned of on March 14 – Pi Day. “I think they saw I was a good match for them and they were a good match for me. I’m proud to be the first student at Whittier High to get into MIT and to set a higher standard for the next generation of students.”
 
Carranza carries a 4.44 GPA and has earned straight As in all of his classes, which include at least 30 semesters of Advanced Placement or rigorous honors coursework. This year, he is taking AP Environmental Science, AP Physics and AP Calculus.
 
He is also among 24 students the receive the Cardinal Key, Whittier High’s most prized graduation achievement – and a 75-year tradition – based on teacher votes for the top 4 percent of seniors who best represent Whittier High’s core values of Citizenship, Leadership, Achievement, Self-Respect, and Service (CLASS).
 
“Choosing among so many great candidates is always difficult because of we have such outstanding students who apply to MIT every year,” said Stu Schmill, MIT’s dean of admissions. “Those offered admission to the Class of 2020 exemplify all the qualities that distinguish an MIT student: a strong match with MIT’s mission and the ability and desire to make an impact in the community, and in the world.”
 
Carranza, who also plays sports outside of school and is an Eagle Scout, is an Academic Mentor and Senator at school. He said he chose MIT not only for its focus on science and technology, but because it has a sense of community – similar to that of Whittier High.
 
“The motto of our school is Cardinals With CLASS,” he explained. “It’s really about togetherness and that’s influenced by long-term goals of helping the world overall. There’s a lot of support from students and teachers, and it’s led me to where I am today.”
 
Students who will join Carranza as valedictorians include Andrea Pelayo, who has a 4.5 GPA and will study civil and environmental engineering at UC Berkeley; Chastity Baeder, who has a 4.42 GPA and will study biology at Biola University; and UCLA-bound students Matteo Munoz, who carries a 4.51 GPA and will study film production, Yulissa Serrato, who has a 4.48 GPA, and Pavle Pejovski, who has a 4.44 GPA and will study business economics.
 
The salutatorian is Mark Rojas, whose 4.34 GPA will take him to UC Irvine.
 
“This is the largest class of valedictorians we have ever had, and I am thrilled at the caliber of students we have to choose from and all that they have accomplished while at Whittier High School,” Principal Lori Eshilian said. “I am so proud of Dylan and all of our other valedictorians for embodying our Cardinals With CLASS philosophy and working hard to achieve their dreams. Congratulations to the Class of 2016!”
 
Whittier High’s graduation will be held at 4 p.m. Thursday, June 2 at Dick Torres Memorial Stadium, 8426 Pioneer Blvd., Whittier.