The Willow Glen Sunrisers Kiwanis Club and the Kiwanis Club of Almaden Valley acknowledged the girls' success, along with 28 other students from the San Jose Unified School District, at a May 5 luncheon at Lou's Village, by awarding each a $1,000 Turnaround Scholarship.

The decade-old scholarship program honors students who have made mistakes, learned from them and moved on, says Jim Crownover, Kiwanis member and co-chairman of the scholarship program. "These students have all worked hard to overcome obstacles to get to where they are today," he says.

For "party girl" Anabel, becoming a mother made all the difference. Two years ago, Anabel, then a sophomore, chose friends over academics.

"I was partying, drinking and smoking, hanging out with the wrong crowd," she says.

Her GPA dipped to 1.25. At the same time, she faced family troubles. To cope with the stress of her parents' incessant fighting, Anabel began cutting herself on her arms with a thin blade. A school counselor who noticed the scars on her arms tried talking to her. "He told me I had to set a good example for my two younger brothers and made me think about what I was missing by not attending school," Anabel says. It wasn't until she became pregnant in her junior year that she started rethinking her life choices.

"I realized I was going to be a mother. What am I doing? I have to start concentrating and put my feet on the ground to give myself and my baby a good future," says Anabel, who spent one semester doing independent studies.

Her parents, who initially objected to her keeping the baby, relented once Alodra was born in April last year. It was hard work juggling motherhood and school but Anabel persevered to raise her grades back up to a GPA of 3.2.

"After my baby was born, everything changed," says Anabel, struggling with tears. "My parents really helped me out. They are always there for me when I need time to study."

Her mother, Lourdes Cadena, is proud of what Anabel has achieved. "I'm impressed by how she managed to raise her grades despite the pressure," Cadena says.

Anabel will attend Heald College this fall, aided by her scholarship. She hopes to become a medical assistant.

"I want to work hard for my baby and go into medical sales in a few years," she says.

Another turnaround

Like Anabel, Amanda also has her sights set on the medical profession. "I want to become a pediatrician because I love working with children," says Amanda, who has been accepted at UC-Monterey Bay.

Eight years ago, becoming a doctor was the furthest thing from her mind.

Surrounded by drugs, gang activities and alcohol abuse, Amanda says, she grew up without adult supervision. By age 10, she was taking drugs and at 13, Amanda was arrested for fighting and put on probation for two years.

"I stopped doing drugs but I was still involved with gang activities," she says.

When Amanda came to Willow Glen High School in the second semester of her freshman year in 2002, her reputation preceded her. Alfonso Gallegos, assistant principal of discipline at Willow Glen High School, offered her a chance to start fresh. Gallegos told her he wasn't going to let her past affect her future.

"That really encouraged me," she says.

That same year, a close family friend died in a gang fight.

"His death made me look at things differently," she says. "One part of me wanted to retaliate, but another part said it was pointless." At the start of the next school year, she decided to turn in all her gang-related paraphernalia, including bandanas, clothes and hair-ties. "I brought in a big garbage bag of all my things and told Mr. Gallegos that he could do whatever he wanted with it."

Amanda started spending more time in school and getting involved in Junior Varsity softball and cheerleading. Meeting her boyfriend in 2004 was the turning point of her life.

"I was still involved on-and-off in gang activities but my boyfriend really put a stop to it," she says. "He told me it wasn't worth it. Gang members are not going to be there when I'm in jail or six-feet under."

Her boyfriend and his family also treated Amanda like one of their own. "It's the first family I've ever known," says Amanda, who works six days a week at an ice-cream parlor to save up for college. Her boyfriend, Nick Reateguri, said Amanda has become more mature in the way she handles problems.

"She's worked very hard to get where she is today and she really deserves the scholarship," Nick says.

Although her mother has never really been there for her, Amanda still hasn't given up on her.

"My mother is struggling to be a parent right now," she says. "Her intentions are good, and she is really trying. In my free time, I help take care of my two younger siblings."

Through her own life, Amanda has seen the impossible happen and she hopes to inspire other students who are still mired in gangs to walk away.

"Keep your head up. Never give up," she says. "You mean a lot more than you think. Don't take the easy way out."

Back on track

Racine has gone from plummeting grades to earning a place in the National Hispanic University Liberal Arts program.

In 2001, when her parents separated and her once close-knit family fell apart, her grades began to nosedive. Things got worse when she lost a close friend in the Sept. 11 tragedy.

"The close family I once knew just wasn't there anymore," Racine says. "I didn't want to go to school. I didn't want to do anything. It was my way of getting attention from my parents."

By the end of her freshman year at Independence High School in San Jose, Racine's GPA fell from 3.0 to 0.5. Racine transferred to Willow Glen High School in her sophomore year but her grades continued to slide.

"I was doing really badly," she said. "I was depressed and I even tried to end my life."

It was Melissa Foster, assistant principal of activities at Willow Glen High School, who helped Racine turned her life around. A simple: "You have so much potential and you can do so well" gave Racine the needed confidence boost.

"She was the only person at the time who said anything positive about me," says Racine, who refers to Foster as her "other mom."

She accepted Foster's challenge of joining the school's leadership class in her junior year and became involved in every major school activity. This year Racine served on the school site council, as activities director for the yearbook and the homecoming committee chairwoman.

When her parents got back together early this year, her concentration on school improved.

"It's a lot of weight off my shoulders," says Racine, who pulled her GPA back up to 3.6.

Though Foster has no recollection of what she told Racine, she says she did what any teacher would do when a student asks for help. "Racine works really hard," Foster says. "She did all the work to put herself back on track."

Racine will use her scholarship toward a degree in arts education. Then she would like to teach at her high school alma mater.

"This campus has changed my life," Racine says. "I want to return and give back."