But as their grades continued to slip and the two were in danger of not receiving their high school diplomas, reality hit, and Joanna and Yvette reprioritized their lives.

Their efforts earned both Joanna and Yvette a $1,000 Turnaround Scholarship from the Willow Glen Kiwanis Sunrisers on May 6.

"I felt somebody noticed my turnaround," Yvette said. "It felt good to be able to improve, and it taught me that it's possible."

Four years ago, neither girl had college aspirations. After a rocky academic start, the girls were placed in the school's continuation program, Willow Glen High School Plus, where the two made an about-face, boosting their grades and demonstrating an interest for higher education.

Joanna's older sister had dropped out of high school, and her family struggled financially. She didn't want to let her parents down and became determined to be the first in her family to graduate.

Willow Glen High School Plus counselor Barry Shilman said students sent to the continuation program either sink or swim.

"Some barely make it, and some get a grip on the problem and run away with success," he said. "Others will still have to be prodded or pushed."

Willow Glen High School Plus has approximately 40 students, two teachers and one counselor, Shilman said.

He added that he nominated Joanna and Yvette for the scholarship because they showed the greatest academic improvement and had the most financial need.

It took Joanna two years before she found an academic environment where she could succeed. She had attended Downtown College Preparatory—a charter high school that prepares underachieving students for four-year universities—her freshman year; the advanced classes were challenging and beyond ninth-grade level, she said.

When she transferred to Willow Glen High School the next year, her classes were less difficult, but her lack of focus and motivation put her behind, she said.

Through the one-on-one attention she received in the Plus program, her sister's urging to do better and a desire not to disappoint her parents, she harnessed her drive to succeed.

When her GPA went from a .9 to a 3.2, even she was surprised.

"I was amazed I could actually do well in school," she said. "It did change how I thought about it."

Although she'll be the first to graduate from high school in her family, Joanna looks at two of her aunts who are nurses and wants to follow in their footsteps.

"I want to try nursing out and see if I can be a pediatrician," she said. Her $1,000 scholarship will help purchase books at Evergreen Community College next fall.

From a failing student to college-bound, Joanna said she has pride in her accomplishments and greater self-esteem.

"I learned I could look deep within myself and find something that made me reach out for what I want," Joanna said.

Yvette said she also learned she could succeed once she put her mind to it.

Before she realized she wanted to go to college, her regular pattern was cutting classes so she could hang out with her friends.

"A teacher told me, 'When you actually come, your work is good,'" Yvette said.

She said she realized that her future was slipping away, so she confided in her mother that she was ditching school.

Without joining the Plus program, she said, she wouldn't have been able to graduate.

With the individualized attention, she raised her GPA from 2.2 to 3.0. She will attend San José City College to study cosmetology.

"If it's my niche, I'll open my own shop," said Yvette, who helped apply makeup for the school play.

Willow Glen High School Principal Elaine Farace said, "Their stories inspire me to move on and help more students."