Santa Fe High School senior Miranda Diaz-Infante will pursue her dream of finding cures for cancer and other diseases at UCLA with the help of a $20,000 Destiny Scholarship awarded annually by the City of Santa Fe Springs Chamber of Commerce.
Diaz-Infante – recognized as an exceptional graduating senior by the chamber – has a 4.5 GPA and is co-captain of the color guard team. She also advocates for civic engagement and raises awareness of the costs of human trafficking.
“I didn’t believe it. I was completely shocked,” Diaz-Infante said of when she learned she won the scholarship. “This is such a great honor. I want to make lives better for people and learn how the different branches of science can lead to solutions. Receiving the Destiny scholarship will help me so much on my journey.”
Diaz-Infante will study bio-engineering at UCLA in the fall. The scholarship will help pay for additional college expenses, including housing and books.
The academic scholar credits her teachers and counselors at Santa Fe for giving her the opportunity to challenge herself and succeed in difficult subjects such as AP calculus. She regularly assists the Santa Fe Springs Chamber of Commerce on city election campaigns.
Through her church, Diaz-Infante also assists the fight against human trafficking by putting together care packages for victims.
“I cannot say enough about Miranda’s heart and how she will always stop to help a friend or a stranger in need,” Santa Fe Principal Craig Campbell said. “Miranda is an inspiration to her fellow Chieftains and I am not alone in wishing her all the best in her future.”