Dionise Guerra-Carrillo knew she wanted to become a doctor at a young age after her mother’s friend gave her a toy safety kit. Now, she’s committed to attending Harvard University this fall.
Guerra-Carrillo, a senior at Wood River High School, told the Times-News that she will attend Harvard University to study neuroscience and mathematics after contemplating whether to attend other Ivy League schools, including Yale University and Dartmouth College, which she had also been accepted to.
She is the first WRHS student in 25 years to be accepted into both Yale and Harvard.
“Because my parents are immigrants, they dreamed of this since I was a little child,” Guerra-Carrillo said. “I mean, graduating high school was already just such a big dream. And then, like, getting into such a prestigious institution was insane.”
Guerra-Carrillo revealed that she didn’t tell her family or her friends where she was applying prior to her acceptances, saying she felt “embarrassed” thinking she could get into an Ivy League school.
“Coming from a household of immigrants and living in a predominantly white community and rural Idaho, it definitely feels very inaccessible and impossible, and like all the odds are against you,” she said. “But they’re not; there are communities and groups and resources if you look for them, and even then if they aren’t, make your own.”
The Hispanic high school graduation rate in Idaho in the 2020-2021 school year was 72%, according to the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs’ latest Hispanic Profile Data Book.
Compared to four years earlier, the graduation rate decreased by three percentage points, while the rate for all students remained the same.
The latest data book also says Hispanics made up 14% of postsecondary enrollment in fall 2021, up from 11% in 2016 and 8% in 2013.
Thinking of others throughout her years in high school, as well, she put it on herself and translated the dual credit medical terminology course to Spanish for the high school so that those resources could be implemented locally.
Guerra-Carrillo started working on translations her junior year of high school and, in total, spent 70 hours translating the material; she did an additional 30 hours to edit and revise it.
Guerra-Carrillo recently gave all her resources and translated material to the College of Southern Idaho as her final “passion project” before graduating.
She said CSI is currently working on implementing the translated material to their dual enrollment program and has been working alongside Brent Clayton, department chair of the health professions program at CSI — although the project is still in the beginning stages.
“I felt like I already don’t see enough Latinos in dual credit and AP courses, and I wanted more Latinos to feel empowered, and I especially felt empowered in that course, because I knew Spanish and the Latin roots were really helpful,” she said.
“My boss and I had been talking about creating a Spanish version of our medical terminology in order to support our students so it was a timely thing she was doing,” Clayton told the Times-News in a phone call.
“… It’s hard enough in English, let alone if English is your second language, and so I think creating something that will be more of a resource for Hispanic students and those who might speak Spanish a little bit more than the English, I think it will be a great resource for them.”
Clayton said the college is open to partnering with students for ways to improve accessibility and resources.
Reflecting on Guerra-Carrillo’s work over the years, Eleanor Jewett-Rogers, English teacher at Wood River, told the Times-News she is not surprised Guerra-Carrillo got into Harvard after having her in classes and seeing the ambition and hard work she puts into her assignments and projects.
“She’s known what she’s wanted, at least since I met her in 10th grade, Jewett-Rogers said. “She’s been a very driven student — when issues are important to her, she fights hard for them.”
“My main desire in doing these interviews was to make sure that Latinos, and just the Latino community in general, feels empowered to dream and hope and reach for the stars, because you truly can do it,” Guerra-Carrillo said.
“And it’s not as impossible as it seems. Though, it’s incredibly difficult, it is not impossible.”
Cover Photo:
Dionise Guerra-Carrillo poses for a portrait Friday, May 10, outside of Wood River High School in Hailey. Guerra-Carrillo is the first student in 25 years to get accepted to both Harvard and Yale. She will be attending Harvard in the fall for neurosurgery.HANNAH KINSON, TIMES-NEWS
Publisher’s Notes: Wood River High School Hispanic student translates medical terminology for CSI, commits to Harvard was first published in the Times-News.
Part of LNN’s mission is to amplify the work of others in providing greater visibility and voice to Hispanic, Latino communities.
