Jesus Valenzuela was summoned to the Desert View High School principal’s office at lunchtime Wednesday, and he was somewhat concerned. The 18-year-old senior, a captain on the boys basketball team, was told he needed to tell administrators about his recent trip to Washington, D.C., where he was recognized as a Horatio Alger Association National Scholar. Once the quick meeting ended, Valenzuela was escorted to a breezeway where he was surprised by a drum line, a mass of classmates and a $20,000 scholarship from the Foot Locker Foundation. Valenzuela was one of 34,000 applicants from across the country; the foundation awarded 20 grants based on athletic and academic achievement.
