Joshua Pedroza

KIPP SoCal Public Schools

Joshua, an Esperanza College Prep and KIPP SoCal alum, is first in his family to attend college by majoring in business administration and marketing at the University of Connecticut. His goal is to learn and understand the foundations of being a business owner in hopes to later help small businesses in his community. Joshua is the senior class President in Student Government and is the Captain of Esperanza’s Cheerleading team. When he is not at school for extracurriculars, he spends his time managing a small baking business. He loves exploring different careers by volunteering at his local library where he helps kids grow a passion for reading at the Summer Discovery Booth and assists in guest speaker presentations that teach kids different jobs in the workforce. By applying his knowledge from previous summer internships like the STEM Enhancement of Earth Sciences High School Summer Internship he built a wearable device (Hike Alert) to help hikers feel safe when they go on a hike. In addition to his work academically, he advocates for the members of his community by helping them overcome and end police brutality through protesting for change.