When Aurora Science & Tech High School opened its doors, it didn't have a long history, a legacy of alumni, or decades of tradition. What it had was a group of students willing to help build something from the ground up.
Alexa Rodriguez was one of them.
Now a senior and a proud member of AST's founding class, Alexa is preparing to walk across the stage at Senior Signing Day with something remarkable in hand: a full-ride scholarship package to Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder. That’s almost forty thousand dollars in scholarships!
But the story of how she got there is about much more than dollars and acceptances. It's about a young woman who learned to take risks.
Building a School, Building Herself
"Being part of the founding class, it's been very experimental, which is kind of nice. You get to take a lot of risks."
Alexa arrived at AST as a freshman after spending COVID-era remote learning at a different middle school. She self-described as timid, staying close to a small circle of friends and hesitant to branch out.
But AST — still finding its identity as a new campus — gave her something unexpected: permission to try, fail, and try again. New classes, new after-school programs, new opportunities. Some worked. Some didn't. All of it mattered.
"It's just about taking risks. And that mindset has helped me realize that after high school, in college, in my career — growth comes out of discomfort, not within your comfort zone."
A Spark That Changed Everything
Sophomore year, a posting for a KPMG internship appeared. Alexa's math teacher, Ms. Blomberg, encouraged her to apply.
She got in.
That experience lit a fire. Suddenly, accounting wasn't just a subject, it was a future. And Alexa, a young Hispanic woman who had never seen herself in the business world, began to see that she belonged there.
"As a Hispanic woman, I have to have the mentality of taking risks and being willing to get rejected. Because it's not easy. But I know that if I push through it, I will be able to do the things I want to do."
Aurora Science and Tech’s College Success program, which begins supporting students in 9th grade with individualized college and career advising, helped Alexa turn that passion into a plan. In the fall, she will be heading to Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder.
More Than Academics: A Community Built on the Field
Ask Alexa what made her high school experience whole, and she'll tell you it was soccer.
From her very first season as a freshman, the AST soccer team became her anchor — a place to belong, to bond, and to grow alongside teammates who became family. As a founding class, those bonds run especially deep.
Senior Night is coming up and for Alexa, it will be bittersweet. "It's going to be sad. But I'm also really excited to see what these young ladies make of themselves."
Paving the Path for Those Who Come After
Alexa is the first in her family to go to college. The first daughter, first niece, first granddaughter. Her younger sister is already at AST middle school, watching and learning.
"Every time I want to quit, I remind myself — it's for yourself first. But people are depending on you.”
Her advice to her freshman self — and to every student walking through AST's doors today?
"Just take the risk. Try new things. And enjoy the moment.”
Celebrating Alexa — and Every Senior — at Signing Day
Alexa's story is one of hundreds unfolding across the DSST network this spring. On April 30, we’ll celebrate her at Senior Signing Day, our annual celebration of the students who have done the work, taken the risks, and are ready to step into their futures. Congratulations Alexa, we can’t wait to see what the future holds for you!