Whittier High School senior Adria Marin likes to take the initiative. Whether she is volunteering for a nonprofit organization, advocating for underrepresented students, creating a photography portfolio or building a pathway to higher education, Marin always does her research, comes prepared and leaves nothing to chance.
Marin, who has a 4.4 GPA, has received early acceptance to Barnard College in New York City – one of the prestigious “Seven Sisters” universities – where she plans to study political science and French, with a career focus on international relations. For her leadership and devotion to advocacy, Marin was presented with an Award of Merit by the Whittier Union Board of Trustees during a Feb. 14 Board meeting.
“I am honored to receive this award and call Whittier High my alma mater and grateful that I have found a place among its community,” Marin said. “I would like to thank my parents for supporting me through everything, my siblings for encouraging me, my friends for believing in me, my teachers, counselors, principal and the Board of Trustees for their guidance, and the Las Fotos Project for supporting my creative endeavors.”
As a freshman, Marin joined the Las Fotos Project (LFP), a nonprofit that specializes in elevating the voices of teenage girls and gender-expansive youth of color through photography and mentoring. Through the LFP, Marin has honed her experimental photography and photojournalism skills, contributing photos of Southland pick-up soccer games published in the Los Angeles Times’ Image magazine in 2021.
Marin has also served as a national youth leader for the Hope, Healing, and Health Collective, a youth-led policy council that researched and prepared a 40-page report on the mental health of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) youth in low-income communities that was shared with federal, state and local leaders across the country.
In the summer of 2022, Marin participated in the Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Project’s Statewide Leadership Conference, held at Cal State Sacramento, which centered on enhancing the leadership skills of Latinos from across the state. Marin led discussions and broadened her knowledge regarding Chicano studies and mental health.
“Adria is a remarkable young woman,” Whittier High Principal Tim Liggett said. “What I find so impressive about her is that a lot of people are willing to spend time talking about problems in the world. Adria is someone who is taking the time to do something about the problems in the world. If committed and focused people like Adria are willing to do that work, I feel better about where the world is going.”
At Whittier High, Marin is a member of the varsity tennis team, serves as Associated Student Body secretary and is a member and former president of the Whittier High chapter of the California Scholarship Federation, helping bring Cardinal students together after the pandemic by organizing community service projects, such as a cleanup day at Penn Park. Marin is also on track to be awarded the California Seal of Biliteracy for French.
“Adria is so passionate about what she believes in, it’s what makes her stand out,” Whittier High Counselor Diana Salazar said. “Adria has made her own path and done all of her own research. She is poised and confident, sharing her experiences with us and introducing us to new programs. We are so proud of what she’s accomplished.”
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WUHSD_MERIT1: Whittier High School senior Adria Marin has received an Award of Merit by the Whittier Union Board of Trustees, who recognized Marin for her leadership and devotion to advocacy during a Feb. 14 Board meeting.