The Class of 1993

This school year, City Times has honored the Central City’s best on the football field, basketball court and baseball diamond.

This is the second part of City Times’ tribute to the area’s high school valedictorians.

The outstading students were asked: “What kind of future does Los Angeles hold for you and your classmates?”

Bell High

Sonia Velazquez

Bell

Future: Princeton

“The situation in Los Angeles is pretty grim. Those students that want to attend a junior college or state university will have a lot of trouble, if not with financing their education, then with getting the right classes. However, I believe that with the cooperation of all, we can turn this bleak future around.”

Bell Gardens

Juan Carlos Flores

Bell Gardens resident

Future: Harvey Mudd College , engineering

“The Los Angeles community is a challenge in itself. As it keeps growing, so do its problems. Our future will be to aid Los Angeles and other cities like it, with its problems and generally make them better places to live in, for our families and for our loved ones.”

Belmont High

Van-Nam (Chris) Van

Echo Park

Future: MIT

“Too many times we worry so much about the future, we let the present slip by us. The future will always be intangible; the present is controllable. Instead of just thinking about the future, we need to ‘seize the day.’ The future is shaped by our actions today.”

Bravo Medical Magnet

Wing Yip Chan

West L os A ngeles

Future: UC Berkeley

“Having lived in Los Angeles for almost nine years, I have grown to appreciate the colorful personality that this city possesses, despite its many problems. However, I am an optimist, and although my classmates and I will face many obstacles, it will be up to us to improve the situation in Los Angeles.”

Crenshaw

Nathaniel Jacobs

Gardena

Future: UC Berkeley , physics

“Virtually all of my classmates are going on to college to earn a degree. We are an intelligent, adaptable group and I think just about all of us will find meaningful, professional jobs.”

Dorsey

Han Q. Duong

Crenshaw

“Even with all of the problems, I still see Los Angeles as having a bright future. People are staying, not just leaving Los Angeles for greener pastures. As long as we make commitments to our community and our city to bring about positive changes, there shouldn’t be any reason for Los Angeles to be doomed as some predict.”

Fremont

Jorge Parra

South-Central

Future: USC ,

“Los Angeles holds a great future for my classmates and me. The question is: Will the students put in the effort to make a future for themselves? Once they decide upon that, the sky is the limit.”

Jordan

Claudia P. Pena

Carson

Future: UC Davis , chemistry

“As Los Angeles prospers, the possibilities for my classmates and myself are immeasurable. The existing diversity makes Los Angeles a unique place. We are exposed in different ways of life that help us grow and understand people. Thus, Los Angeles offers whatever we are willing to work to attain.”

Lincoln

Kim Le Hoang

Lincoln Heights

Future: UCLA , political science or law

“I believe that Los Angeles is a breeding ground of raw talent and intelligence. We must concentrate on transforming our ethnic and cultural diversities from a dividing force into a unifying strength. As my peers and I mature, I believe that our potential will slowly but surely unfurl into a force that will make our city one of peace, pride and prosperity.”

Los Angeles

Isabel Cristina Cueva

Mid-Wilshire

Future: O ccidental College , math ematics

“At the moment, it is difficult to say what kind of future Los Angeles holds for us. With everyone’s help, I hope that it will hold a bright and successful one, in which we can all grow and learn to appreciate each other’s differences.”

Manual Arts

Silvestre Salas

South-Central

Future: MIT , engineering

“It seems like yesterday when the riots broke out in my city. The image of my city burning to ashes will always haunt me. It was despairing to see the future of many families go up in flames. My effort to dissuade people from participating in the riots was in vain. Then, I realized my community felt oppressed and forgotten, I knew then that I wanted to become a leader in the community and bring about positive changes. Los Angeles is the future for all of us if we learn to value and respect our cultural diversity.”

Roosevelt

Sandra E. Loera

Boyle Heights

Future: Stanford , teaching

“Since I am very optimistic, I think Los Angeles holds a brighter future for all of us. As I am about to graduate from high school I have noticed a great sense of enthusiasm and motivation among my peers about pursuing a higher education. I have therefore concluded that if more minorities are educated, more people will be willing to return to their communities to aid others in following their footsteps to succeed.

* Nancy Sobeyda Luna

South-Central

Future: Pomona College , medicine

“We have seen our city burned and ruined by hatred and discrimination. Yet, I feel that the generation of today, meaning my classmates and myself, will work to change this situation. A new horizon awaits all of us in Los Angeles, all we need to do is focus our strength into making a change in our community. Though there are many obstacles that we will have to confront, I am more than confident that by obtaining the right education we will all succeed in making Los Angeles a better place.”

South Gate

Jose G. Rivera

South Gate

Future: UC Irvine , engineering

“I’d like to say that Los Angeles (has) a secure future but that will be partly false. Los Angeles has unfortunately declined from past years. Many companies have been closing down and jobs have been lost. We still have a future as college graduates but things are tougher nowadays, unemployment is high and there has been a recession. But Los Angeles will move on and will become the place everyone goes to find their job once more.”

* Lew E. Macapagal

South Gate

Future: UCLA , electrical engineering

“Our future can only get brighter. More young people nowadays know how important an education is. It is the key to strengthening our society.”

* Alejandro Molera

South Gate resident

Future: UC Riverside biomedic ine

“Our future is determined not by the city in which we find ourselves, but by an individual’s hopes and desires. Therefore, I believe whether we be in Los Angeles or any other city--in good times or in bad--my friends and I are well-equipped to meet all of life’s challenges and accomplish every single one of our goals. I want to be a doctor and help out the community. I want to give something back.”