Ever since his sophomore year, Elijah Conorquie has been encouraged to keep his grades up by his family and teachers. Elijah, a senior at Jordan High School, is college-bound for Cal State University, Dominguez Hills in the fall. In order to prepare for college, his teachers encouraged him to challenge himself, so he enrolled in several honors and advanced placement (AP) courses. Elijah is one of three Len Hill Scholars, and receives science and other academic tutoring from College Track. Besides academics, Elijah also is a member of his high school’s football, track, basketball, and volleyball teams, which makes him something of a superstar among his peers. During his junior year, Elijah found his AP English course challenging and was struggling to keep his grade up. With the support of his teacher and many hours of studying he overcame the challenge and successfully passed the course. Elijah saw this as a learning experience and the impetus to continuously improve and move toward his goals.

Elijah is looking forward to his first day as a college student. Last year, he participated in a school field trip to visit the campuses at San Diego State University and University of California, San Diego. The most impactful aspect of the field trip for him was meeting with entrepreneurs and business leaders. Elijah was able to network and ask questions that reinforced his interest in becoming a business leader. He wants to follow in the footsteps of his oldest brother – a college educated man and former business owner, who is currently on active military duty. In college, Elijah aims to pursue a business degree. He aspires to give back and teach his community the things he has learned.

Elijah is the middle child of five men raised by a proud mother. His mom is thrilled to see that he is a good role model for his younger brothers. Elijah carries the legacy of what a reliable, caring, and responsible young man looks like for his younger brothers. His mom has been very supportive throughout and lovingly tells him, “Oh, my next baby is going to college!” We wish Elijah the best of luck during his college years and beyond.