Barrett O’Gorman, Past Chair, and Gaby Goldberg

Gaby Goldberg’s list of activities during her time at San Marcos High School is impressive: Captain of the varsity tennis team, captain of the varsity mock trial team, president of the AAPLE Academy, and founder and chair of the school club, CyberTutorial. And off campus, Gaby founded a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Santa Barbara Speaks.

With so many leadership roles, you may be surprised to find that Gaby did not speak until the second grade. It’s not that she couldn’t speak, she chose not to.

“The experience really showed me the importance of sharing your voice with others. I make sure to do that in everything I do, from mock trial to the CyberTutorial, an organization that helps give underprivileged students a voice,” remarked Gaby. The nonprofit she created, Santa Barbara Speaks, is a true representation of her determination, and she was acknowledged for her work with the Prudential Spirit of Community Award from President Obama.

Thanks to a scholarship from the Kenneth and Margaret Millar Scholarship Fund here at the Scholarship Foundation, Gaby’s time at Stanford University will be easier financially. As you can imagine, she won’t need any help with her studies. Stanford has been her dream school as long as she can remember, and she is thrilled to have been accepted. Gaby originally applied for a major in philosophy, but is now interested in an interdisciplinary major unique to Stanford called Symbolic Systems. The major blends philosophy, logic, computer science, artificial intelligence, and more.

“I am so grateful and lucky to live in a community where there is so much support for young people like me to pursue their passions,” said Gaby. “I can’t wait to go study at my dream school this fall and the Scholarship Foundation is making sure that I have all the resources I need to do so.”

Best of luck, Gaby!