
Hobbies and interests
Crafting
Animals
Pet Care
Camping
Agriculture
Ceramics And Pottery
Dog Training
Embroidery And Cross Stitching
Crocheting
Painting and Studio Art
Exploring Nature And Being Outside
Psychology
Art
Collecting
Collaging
Reading
Adult Fiction
Biography
Classics
Fantasy
Social Issues
Psychology
I read books multiple times per month
Isabella Ibarra
1x
Finalist
Isabella Ibarra
1x
FinalistBio
Hello! My name is Isabella Ibarra,
I am a senior at Hallmark Academy in Sanger, California. My school is very small with around 30 students in my graduating class. I'm enrolled in a hybrid program, only attending in person classes twice a week. This program has taught me independence and responsibility regarding my academics. I recently participated in my school's Academic Decathlon club and received many medals with my team at our Fresno County competition in February of 2026. We finished in second place of division 1.
After graduation I will be attending a local community college, majoring in agricultural animal science. I will be obtaining my associates through this program and transfer to Fresno State to receive my bachelors. I dream of becoming a veterinary technician. Animals have always been something I found interest in. As a child I'd scour every field for different insects, catching and analyzing them to then release them back to the wild. I have owned many pets throughout my life, fish, hamsters, birds, land turtles, water turtles, and of course dogs! I love learning everything there is to know about animals and always made it a point to do as much research as possible to give these animals a perfect home. All of these experiences have inspired me to pursue a career in animal science.
Education
Reedley College
Associate's degree programMajors:
- Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields, Other
Hallmark Academy
High SchoolMiscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Bachelor's degree program
Graduate schools of interest:
Transfer schools of interest:
Majors of interest:
- Animal Sciences
- Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields, Other
Career
Dream career field:
Veterinary
Dream career goals:
Veterinary technician
Fundraiser voice
Academic Decathlon2025 – 20261 year
Arts
Small business
Jewelry2020 – 2022
Public services
Volunteering
Selma First Methodist Church — Cleaning aide2026 – 2026
Future Interests
Advocacy
Mark Suren Melkonian Memorial Scholarship
Every summer my family and I would take trips up to Pine Flat Dam to cool off from the intense heat of the Central Valley. Passing through all of the fields, we'd see the many farm animals living on their privately owned homesteads. This always prompted me to imagine my future on a homestead caring for all of my livestock. This desire ultimately led me to pursue a career in agricultural animal science.
I have applied to Reedley College and registered for my classes with a student plan to graduate with my associates degree in 2028. After finishing my time at Reedley, I will transfer to Fresno State and continue my agricultural animal science education through their program to obtain my bachelors degree. I will volunteer at the Central California Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals during my downtime and build my work experience through various other small local organizations. With my bachelors degree in agricultural animal science, I aspire to be a veterinary technician.
I believe it is never too late to achieve your dreams. I am a graduating senior from Hallmark Academy in Sanger, California. My school is very small, with a graduating class of around 30 students. My peers and I often hear stories of the Sanger High students excelling with their pathways, various different clubs, and mainly their dual enrollment courses. Their success stories such as getting internships and job offers straight out of high school fuel our motivation to work harder. Hallmark has only recently begun offering dual enrollment, and has been trying to create more clubs. My small school only put me at a slight disadvantage. My need to succeed as much as the public school kids given all of those opportunities, such as those I listed, only grows stronger by the day. I fully believe that I, a home schooled student, is fully capable of achieving my goals of going to college and transferring to a university to find a career in agricultural animal science. My initial interest in the subject inspires my will to further my knowledge on the topic and this scholarship will help fund my future in the agricultural field. The well-being of livestock is something I am intensely passionate about. I believe if a Hallmark Academy student were to win this scholarship it'd inspire many younger home schooled students to look into and also pursue jobs in agriculture.