Jaelisa Lozano-Rivera ‘26 is a familiar face around campus. After attending Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) for all four years, Lozano-Rivera is best known for being in the Bioscience Academy and serving as the Editor-in-Chief (EIC) for the yearbook program at Foothill Tech.
She begins her mornings with a later start due to her free first period. Once the second period rolls around, Lozano-Rivera heads to Yearbook with Mr. Frazier, where she spends her time fulfilling her duties as Yearbook EIC. This typically looks like editing and finalizing page layouts, photo choices and captions.
Later, she heads to Biotechnology, the class assigned to seniors in the Bioscience program. Biotechnology focuses on lab techniques used to study molecular biology. Along with biotechnology, third-year Bioscience students are required to take college prep physics or Advanced Placement Physics (AP Physics), which Lozano-Rivera attends just after Bio-Tech during her 4th period.
Outside of class time, Lozano-Rivera can be seen playing Water Polo and Beach Volleyball, both sports that have been staples of her high school career. She recently experienced her senior night for Water Polo, where she was honored in a speech by her coach and was recognized for having lots of positive energy and enthusiasm.
A peer leader at her church, Padre Serra Perrish, Lozano-Rivera spends her time helping high school students prepare for confirmation, a common milestone for high school students furthering their faith.
Lozano-Rivera plans to attend Ventura Community College (VC) in the fall. This choice was made so that she has a little more time to refine the specifics of her major while enjoying the continuation of her water polo career. Lozano-Rivera is majoring in nursing and especially wants to help mothers, as she currently has the intention of becoming a labor and delivery nurse. This choice came to be thanks to job shadowing and getting to witness both a slower pace within the NICU and a more “upbeat” season in the maternal ward. Lozano-Rivera decided she wanted something with a median of energy, ultimately landing on labor and delivery.
Throughout her four years at Foothill Tech, she says that Mika Anderson, Bioscience advisor and science teacher, has been a particularly influential mentor on campus. Lozano-Rivera says that because Anderson holds a very powerful role in Bioscience, she is often the one pushing her to grow and try new things. Lozano-RIvera says that “[Anderson] has taught some of the hardest classes I’ve been in and those are always the ones I really pick up on.”
When prompted to reflect on the choices she’s made over her four years at Foothill Tech, Lozano-Rivera responds with one overarching topic: getting a jump start on college classes.
“Not only am I done with some of my Gen. Eds. [General Education classes] for VC, but it’s also been freeing up my schedule here … it’s nice to already have dipped my toe into the college pool,” Lozano-Rivera said.
Some non-academic advice she has, which applies to both freshmen and upcoming seniors, is not to change who you are based on how other people change.
Overall, Lozano-Rivera urges her successors to appreciate the golden years we’re in.
“Just take every moment in, cause not only is it your last year at Foothill, or even in high school, but it’s your last year before really growing up and being on your own.”
