‘A new chapter’: Arp High School graduate first in family to attend college

Published 5:45 am Monday, May 16, 2022

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of profiles on graduating high school seniors in Smith County.

Through dedication and hard work, Ariana Padron has made her family proud by becoming the first to attend college.

Arp senior Padron will be making her way to Houston Baptist University this coming fall.

“For the most part, I’m a little scared but it’s exciting – it’s a new chapter in life,” Padron said.

Not only is she the first in her family to attend college, Padron will also graduate in the top 10 of her class. The accomplishments make her feel like all the hard work has paid off, Padron said.

Her siblings continue to encourage her college pursuit saying she is making their mom proud.

Although Padron doesn’t often open up about her family life, she said there have been issues that “definitely made me grow up before I had to,” Padron said.

At the age of 16 Padron said she got her first job at Texas Roadhouse, where she still works, because she wanted to help her mom. She didn’t want to see her struggle alone in navigating financial issues after becoming a single-income household.

“I didn’t really like to see my mom go through that so I definitely tried to step up to the person I had to be and definitely showed her in school and … outside of school I can be the same person,” Padron said.

Being able to step up and help her mom while maintaining her academics helped give her mom “that strength and make her proud of me,” she said.

Being able to offer some aid to her mother also pushed Padron to want to work harder in school, leading her to where she is today.

Despite any challenges she may have faced or is currently facing, “It makes me work harder to get where I want to be in life,” Padron said. “Like going to college … it makes me feel proud of myself, it makes me want to work even harder.”

Padron will be majoring in biology at HBU with the goal of becoming a surgical technologist. For as long as she can remember, Padron said she has liked helping people and wanted to go into the medical field.

Her mother, who works in housekeeping at a hospital, told Padron about the role of a surgical technologist and from there she began looking onto the role and decided this was the path she wanted to pursue, she said.

With college beginning soon, gaining new experiences and living somewhere new are things Padron looks forward to.

HBU offered Padron a scholarship and “I didn’t want to be scared to not take it,” she said. “I wanted to get outside of just what I know and what I’m familiar with – I wanted to get out and hopefully meet new people.”

In high school Padron was a part of volleyball, softball, National Honor Society and the Maroon Messenger. She added that her favorite subject was always math.

In softball Padron was awarded Academic All District and Academic All State. She also received an honorable mention award from Arp High School for both softball and volleyball.

After she graduates, Padron said one thing she will always remember from high school are the memories she made with friends, including the athletic bus rides to games. She encouraged other high school students to soak up those moments, as they are things “you’re never going to get that back, so don’t take it for granted,” she said.

Going forward, Padron said she will continue to be dedicated to what she wants to accomplish and not be scared of new things that are coming.

“You always have to work hard to get where you want to be at one point,” Padron said. “Always have integrity, be dedicated and don’t give up – you might fail once or twice … but get back up and keep going.”

At this point Padron said has accomplished “everything she hoped for” and looks forward to seeing where life takes her next.

What: Arp High School graduation ceremony

When: 7 p.m. May 26

Where: Arp High School auditorium

Valedictorian: Ashley Lopez

Salutatorian: AJ Arrington