Cesar Delgadillo, a Tulare Union High School student, was working on one of his many AP courses when Principal Michelle Nunley peeked through his classroom window.
The senior had no idea he was in for a surprise of a lifetime.
Delgadillo’s family — his two brothers and sister, all Tulare Union graduates, as well as his parents — had gathered in the high school’s board room just a few minutes before the interruption.
In front of them sat a giant check with Cesar’s name on it. The amount? $50,000.
Although the Delgadillo family knew Cesar applied for scholarships, they had no idea he had been awarded one from Edison. Although they knew something was amiss, the announcement was as much a surprise to them as it was to their son.
The Edison Scholars Program recognizes seniors across Central and Southern California each year, and Cesar is one of just 30 students to be recognized this time.
“One of my favorite things about my job is the Edison Scholars Program,” Edison International President and CEO Pedro Pizarro said. “These students are the changemakers of tomorrow; they have big dreams to make a positive impact on our world and be a part of the clean energy future.”
The program aims to assist students who plan to study STEM-related fields at a four-year college or university in obtaining funding, which is ideal for Cesar.
He is a Samsung Software of Tomorrow State finalist as well as a three-year Regional Olympiad Champion. He is passionate about computer engineering and hopes to use it to cure neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and glioblastoma cancer.
Cesar is particularly interested in the development of limb transplants that can communicate directly with the brain via neuro implants.
When Nunley entered Cesar’s class, students began to whisper. Cesar, who was seated near the back of the class, raised his head to see what all the fuss was about. Soon, he was beaming from ear to ear.
Cesar was called to the front of the class by Brian Thoburn of Southern California Edison. Thoburn talked about Cesar’s accomplishments and future college plans before flipping over and handing Cesar the scholarship check.
Some Tulare Union AP students in the class filmed the event, while others took photographs.
After accepting the check, Cesar joined his family outside to celebrate the occasion.
As of last week, the senior has been accepted into the California Institute of Technology and is still waiting to hear back from other schools. So far, he hasn’t made up his mind on where he wants to go.
“I guess I don’t need to apply to any more scholarships,” Cesar joked as he walked back to class.