Golden Valley High School senior Anthony Eslao was awarded the California Scholarship Federation Seymour Award for the South Central region and Matthew De Guzman, also a Golden Valley senior, was named a finalist for the award.
The CSF Seymour Award is one of the highest scholastic honors bestowed upon high school students in California, recognizing exceptional academic achievement and outstanding service to the school and community, according to a news release from the William S. Hart Union High School district.
“I didn’t think I would get this far,” said Eslao about winning the award. “I think getting this, I think it makes me feel confident in my abilities in terms of leadership, in terms of academics, in terms of my ability to communicate, so I would say I feel more confident in myself after this.”
Both Eslao and De Guzman said if it wasn’t for their CSF Advisor Shanna Mann, they never would have found out about the opportunity to apply for the award.
Eslao said that after initially applying, both he and De Guzman were called into Mann’s classroom and were told they both had received nominations for the award.
Eventually both of the boys made it to the top 10 nominees after a rigorous application process where one winner was selected to receive a $5,000 award. The rest of the finalists receive a $2,000 award, said De Guzman.
“I’m honestly just grateful for the opportunities presented to me. If it weren’t for people like Ms. Mann, my CSF advisor, I wouldn’t even have the opportunity to get this award,” said De Guzman. “I’ve put a lot into my academics and I’m now reaping in the rewards.”
He added that after meeting the other finalists he was proud to be considered among such high-achieving, good people.
Going through the process De Guzman and Eslao got to reflect on the type of students they are.
De Guzman said that, as much as he had great academics to show, he owed a lot to his family and community around him that taught him the cultural values and morals that helped him be a Red Cross officer and volunteer for the city of Santa Clarita for over 100 hours with activities like teaching K-6 children at the Newhall Community Center.
He added he plans to attend UCLA after graduating this year.
Eslao said he has always been very committed and focused on his academics and growing in his leadership skills. When looking back on his school career for the application process he realized how much he had grown from his freshman year and knew he was going to get to where he wanted to be.
With graduation coming up soon, Eslao said, “I hope to take with me the principles of leadership that I’ve learned through the Young Marines and JROTC, and communication skills and empathy I’ve learned through my band program.”
He added that he plans to attend the United States Merchant Marine Academy and later join the armed forces.
