An Ivy League of her own: Coahulla Creek graduate prepares for first semester at Harvard

Jul. 22—"I remember crying; I really did it," said Joanna Nunez.

Nunez, who graduated from Coahulla Creek High School with honors in May, felt a swell of emotions when she received her acceptance letter from Harvard University in December.

Set to begin her first semester at the prestigious Ivy League university in August, Nunez believed the opportunity "might have never come."

"I was counting down the days," said Nunez. "I had only told my dad, my mom and my sisters that I had applied, and the (decision letter email) was supposed to come out Dec. 15. I remember I went to school that day and was super excited and nervous. I tried to keep my mind off of waiting so I went with my sister to get ice cream after school just so I didn't have to think about getting the decision letter or not."

To commemorate the big day, Nunez donned clothing with the university's signature crimson, black and white color schemes to her classes at Coahulla Creek.

"I had worn Harvard colors to school (that day). Nobody there knew the significance of how important this day was for me. When I came home, all of my family members were wearing them, too. I didn't know they were going to do that; I thought that was super sweet."

As the day progressed, Nunez said time dragged as she anxiously awaited the email from the university. Just as she began to question whether it would come at all, she decided to take another approach.

"I hadn't received an email by around the time (the deadline came), so I decided to log on to the website myself," Nunez recalled. "I logged in to the applicant portal to see if there was a status update to my account that said I was accepted. I was very emotional."

Located just outside Boston, Massachusetts, in the town of Cambridge, Harvard University is "a long way from home," Nunez said.

1,036 miles to be exact.

Having the opportunity to visit the campus in April, Nunez said there were many differences between Dalton and the New England town.

"The weather is a lot colder up there," she said. "My family and I had to bring warm clothes even though it was April; I remember my dad wearing this huge puffer jacket. and the cars park so close together on the side of the roads. They told me not to drive my car once I moved up since there's not a lot of space."

Nunez believes the trips from Dalton to Cambridge will be "worth it." She plans to study computer science and economics, which she said have "been of interest to (her) for a few years now."

Deciding on a career"Computer science and jobs in tech have a lot of benefits," Nunez said. "My favorite subject in school was science, but I also really loved economics. As a child in middle school, you don't always have a lot of access to it, but I liked to look up videos on the economy and look up stocks. In my freshman year of high school I was able to take an econ class for half of a semester, and I realized it really solidified myself wanting to go in that direction."

Nunez said the roles her parents played at home as she went through middle school and high school helped magnify her interest in economics.

"My parents have been really cool and open with me about organizing their accounts and letting me see how someone takes care of their finances over the last few years. It's been educational for me at home in that sense, too," said Nunez.

Computer science was not initially something she focused on when thinking of career paths, Nunez said.

"I was always like 'You know, I don't think I would ever want to sign up for this,'" she said. "Then I figured out during the summer before my senior year of high school what some of the people around me were doing and I began watching YouTube videos on future careers. I have a few family friends that are in tech and a lot of them get to work from home or have lighter schedules where they can spend more time with their children. Right now I don't have a family of my own, but thinking into the future, I think that career would be a huge benefit and something that I could be interested in."

While Nunez believes computer science and economics are subjects she would like to pursue while at Harvard, she said the university makes it "convenient and less stressful" for incoming freshmen who might still be undecided on a career path.

"I actually don't have to pick a major until I'm a sophomore, which is really cool," she said. "From what I've heard, when you go into college you discover a lot about yourself, especially going to school out-of-state. You're going to be around influences that are totally different than maybe what you're used to, so you'll find out things that you might like or maybe things that you thought you would, but don't."

Nunez said she's glad all of her "hard work is paying off."

"The college application process is long and can be kind of tough," she said. "But I'm happy that everything I've worked toward is starting to show."

While at Coahulla Creek, Nunez completed multiple Advanced Placement classes while taking a few dual enrollment courses at Dalton State College. During her senior year she was named the senior prom queen.

Gaining acceptance into Harvard is difficult, with less than 4% of applicants for the class of 2027 receiving admission. For Nunez, this made the moment she found out she was going to attend the university of her dreams more rewarding.

"A huge weight had lifted off of my shoulders," said Nunez. "There was a feeling of excitement knowing that one of my dreams had come true. I knew that was where I wanted to go and that I could do it if I worked hard enough."

Unwavering supportEarlier this year Nunez received multiple scholarships to help reduce the cost of her first semester at Harvard.

"I received a scholarship from Alliant Health Plans here in Dalton which was super nice. I also received a scholarship from the Dalton Rotary Club after I was recommended by faculty members in my school, which I'm really thankful for. I really value all the people and faculty at Coahulla Creek. Another (scholarship) I received was from the Better Business Bureau in Chattanooga, which will be going toward my first semester as well."

While Nunez described preparing for the move up north as "a little intimidating," she said the unwavering support from her family and her teachers at Coahulla Creek have helped make those feelings subside.

"My parents have been so supportive," said Nunez. "Of course they would love to have me home like any parent would, but they also really want me to follow my dreams and take advantage of all the opportunities that are presented to me. They were really excited once I committed to going to Harvard."

Nunez cited Lucinda Bolt, her science teacher at Coahulla Creek, as a mentor and inspiration for preparing her for higher education. Bolt serves with Josh Millican as an adviser for the school's Beta Club, where Nunez attained roles such as officer, vice president and president.

"Dr. Bolt puts in the work to make sure all students can succeed," said Nunez. "She and Mr. Millican made sure that we always had the support to ask questions and collaborate with other clubs or organizations. They made their rooms a gathering space for all of the students to help develop ideas. (Bolt) went out of her way to make sure we could go to events outside of school, such as the Latino Youth Leadership Conferences at Emery University in Atlanta and at Dalton State. All of this allowed us to see college life before we graduated."

"She was always very mature and very inclusive," Bolt said. "She was a wonderful student and a wonderful young lady, but you really did see her evolve as far as her leadership skills (were concerned). She was the president of Beta Club and she never had a problem getting up in front of students. She would always seem to pull the best out of those around her. I'm so proud of her."

"She is an extremely hard-working student," said Millican. "She does something the right way the first time and you don't even have to tell her how to do it. She was phenomenal as our Beta Club president last year. She kept things organized and was always so positive. We're really proud of her for going to Harvard and making that step to further herself. I've been (at Coahulla Creek) for 12 years and she's one of the best students I have ever had."

Nunez said Bolt was helpful with applying to Harvard by writing one of her letters of recommendation.

"We've had students from Coahulla go to Georgia Tech and UGA (the University of Georgia), but this is definitely the first time I've seen a student from our school make it to Harvard," said Bolt. "I don't think it comes as a surprise to anyone who knows her. I have no doubt that she'll be successful wherever she goes; she's very driven."

First-generation college student

Nunez said also important to her is the effect going from Dalton to Harvard could have on her family.

"My parents did not have the chance to attend college," she said. "I have three sisters who are all younger than me, so they have not reached that age yet. So I will be a first-generation college student in my direct family. To be able to achieve my dream and make it to Harvard is super exciting."

The responsibility of being the first member of her immediate family to attend college, especially one with the esteem of Harvard, has not been taken lightly, Nunez said.

"It feels like a great accomplishment," she said. "I tried really hard all throughout high school to have a chance like this, so it feels awesome. As a first-generation college student you're not always aware of all the opportunities available to you, but I feel like this shows that you can shoot for the stars."

The excitement extends to her grandparents, said Nunez.

"My grandpa told me how proud he was, and my grandmother has been super supportive as well," she said. "They told me they will miss me, but they know what I will be doing so they're very happy about it."

Nunez said being a representative of Dalton in Cambridge is a great responsibility.

"I'm super proud to represent our town and my culture as well," she said. "Things like this don't necessarily happen in Dalton all the time, so it's super nice to know that I am able to help expose to others what Dalton is all about."