NEWPORT HARBOR HIGH SCHOOL:Setting goals and hard work pay off

When Marisa Miranda entered Newport Harbor High School, she had the desire to ace her classes, win scholarships and get accepted to college.

She didn’t have much beyond that. But it turned out to be enough.

Miranda, the only child of a single mother who emigrated from Mexico, grew up without any family members who had gone to college in the United States. She started the ninth grade knowing almost nothing about Advanced Placement tests, SATs or college applications. All that changed when she enrolled in Advancement Via Individual Determination — better known as AVID — a program that helps struggling students acquire the technical skills for college and life.

“I think in Mexico, there’s no SAT’s,” said Miranda, 18, whose mother attended college south of the border. “You just go in, take a test and you’re in already. Here, I think it’s much more demanding.”

Miranda, though, was more than ready to meet the demand. During her years at Newport Harbor, she took nine Advanced Placement tests and tutored sophomores in science. She took seminars on applying for scholarships, preparing for the SAT and even maintaining a budget.

By the time her senior year ended, Miranda stood in the top 5% of her class, poised to attend UC Berkeley in the fall.

“She utilized every facet that AVID offers, every aspect of it, to further her education,” said teacher Scott Morlan. “If all kids did that, they would all be going to major four-year universities.”

MOSHER WAS DRAFTED BY THE U.S. HOCKEY LEAGUE

Mike Mosher admits he missed a few essential moments of high school life. While his classmates were back in class at Newport Harbor High School, Mosher was in Detroit, Toronto, Minneapolis, Fargo and other distant spots around the continent.

He always brought two things: his hockey gear, which he wore as a member of the Los Angeles Junior Kings, and his homework. On the ice with his youth team, which is sponsored by the major-league Los Angeles Kings, he dashed across the ice and deflected shots as a goalie. In his hotel room at night, he’d break out the poetry and physics.

As a result of his touring, Mosher skipped a few days every month at Newport Harbor. His name, though, was still on the honor roll every time he got back.

“I’ve had to give up experiencing a lot of things,” Mosher, 18, said. “I’ve missed dances and football games. But it just makes me appreciate the time I’ve been here more.”

This week, Mosher will leave Newport Harbor behind — but his days on the ice are far from over. The Newport Beach native was recently drafted by the United States Hockey League, an amateur league for players aged 20 and younger, and spent the weekend before graduation at a tryout camp for the Des Moines Buccaneers.

From September to May, then, Mosher should be tearing up the arenas again while taking community college on the side. After those postgame cramming sessions in high school, that looks to be no sweat at all.

SCHOOL STATS

VALEDICTORIANS: Blair Belling, Luke Brunda, Daniel Darnell, Brittany Deyan, Kevin Etter, Taylor Funk, Nicholas Hatton, Arielle Little, Clea O’Kieffe, Annabelle Storch

PROM KING AND QUEEN: Frank Muscatello and Hayley Ayres

HOMECOMING QUEEN: Crystal Rodriguez (no king)

AVERAGE GPA FOR SENIOR CLASS: 2.93

PERCENT OF SENIORS GOING TO COLLEGE: 97%

To see more photos of students profiled, click here.