Larkin High School graduate Joceline Molina was among the 2015 recipients of the U-46 Superintendent Scholarship. A nursing student at Aurora University, Joceline is the first in her family to attend college – something she always planned to accomplish, even as a child.

“I was happy to win the scholarship because you have to be a leader in the community and I felt proud that other people consider me to be a leader,” Joceline said. “It also took away some of the financial burden off my family and I was really happy about that.”

One of her greatest moments in high school happened when a teacher suggested she could be a leader of Larkin High School’s Royal Ambassadors as a sophomore. She was part of the program all four years.

Also in high school, Joceline served on the student government advisory board for two years, was a member of HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America), a member of National Honor Society, and played tennis and badminton.

Joceline said the five Advanced Placement courses she took at Larkin were the most helpful in preparing her for college.

“I think they were helpful because they were harder than some of my college courses,” Joceline said. “I would definitely recommend taking AP English courses; they really prepare you for college-level reading and writing. I definitely had a head start in a lot of my classes.”

Joceline said Larkin’s CNA course solidified her decision to go into nursing. Today, she works as a certified nursing assistant in a nursing home and works at Aurora University’s STEM school for elementary children.