Tulare Union High School student Cesar Delgadillo was busy in one of his many AP courses when Principal Michelle Nunley popped her head into his classroom’s window.
Little did the senior know, he was about to get the surprise of a lifetime.
A few minutes before the interruption occurred, Delgadillo’s family — his two brothers and sister, all Tulare Union graduates, as well as his parents — gathered in the high school’s board room.
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 missing, 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 help students that plan on studying STEM-related fields at a four-year college or university to secure some funding, perfect for Cesar.
He is a Samsung Software of Tomorrow State finalist as well as a three-year Regional Olympiad Champion and is passionate about computer engineering and hopes to use computer science to alleviate neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and glioblastoma cancer.
More specifically, Cesar’s interest in exploring the development of limb transplants that can communicate directly with the brain through neuro implants.
When Nunley stepped inside Cesar’s class, whispers broke out among students. Cesar, sat near the back of the class, popped his head up trying to find out what the commotion was about. Soon enough, he had a smile from ear to ear.
Brian Thoburn from Southern California Edison called Cesar to the front of the class. Thoburn discussed some of Cesar’s accomplishments as well as his future college plans before flipping over and presenting Cesar with the scholarship check.
Some Tulare Union AP students in the class filmed while others took photos of the occasion.
After receiving the check, Cesar joined his family outside to celebrate the occasion.
As of last week, the seniors have been accepted into the California Institute of Technology and are 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 for any more scholarships,” Cesar joked as he walked back to class.
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Tulare Union student awarded $50,000 Edison Scholarship