Almost 100 South San Antonio High School students waited nearly 10 years to unearth a time capsule they buried at Palo Alto College when they were just third graders at Palo Alto Elementary.
“I just remember coming here with all my classmates,” student Ricardo Perez said. “We were real excited. We got out of class.”
Memories and photographs poured out onto the table Tuesday, along with essays that detail dreams for the future.
"I found a letter that I wrote with memories of me at Palo Alto, and I also found a class picture,” student Sandra Rodriguez said. “I still remember every single one of them."
Students thought those mementos would be the highlight of the day, but the time capsule came with a surprise that most students had forgotten about: a full scholarship to Palo Alto College.
The scholarship covers the cost of tuition and books for the 97 students who took part in the project – a combined value of $250,000.
"Higher education, a college degree and experience changes lives, so that's what it's all about,” Mike Flores, the president of Palo Alto College, said.
Officials say the goal for the project was always to remind students of their accomplishments so far and give them that extra push to go even further.
“I want to become a pharmacist,” Rodriguez said. “I'll probably start here and work my way up."
Rodriguez says the word scholarship didn't mean much to her at the time.
“Now it's very helpful, especially with my parents,” Rodriguez said. “They won't have to pay for anything for two years, so I'm excited about that.”
She and 96 other friends are grateful.
"You can't get anywhere without a diploma or degree anymore, so I’m really looking forward to it,” student Kenneth Yamaguchi said. “The opportunity is open, so I'm going to take it.”
The time capsule was opened in celebration of Palo Alto College's 30th anniversary. The institution was the first college to open on the city's south side. Some 100,000 students have attended the college in those 30 years.