INDIANAPOLIS— A Shortridge High School senior is headed to the Ivy League this fall with more than $500,000 in scholarships.
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Karol Redondo-Ponce will graduate from Shortridge this week and attend Columbia University in Manhattan to pursue a career in medicine. She is the first person in her family to graduate from high school.
Redondo-Ponce credits Shortridge’s Writing Center and her parents for her motivation.
“My parents immigrated to this country,” Redondo-Ponce said. “Just seeing that they were able to do something difficult inspires me to also pursue a difficult career, which is medicine.”
Scholar-athlete, researcher, and leader
Redondo-Ponce excelled at Shortridge, Indiana’s only public International Baccalaureate high school. She said she first chose the school to play soccer.
“Shortridge is the only public International Baccalaureate school in Indiana,” she said. “Honestly, I chose Shortridge because I wanted to play soccer, but then I fell in love with the school.”
She served as varsity soccer captain, competed in track, and works as a certified medical assistant providing patient care and translation. She also conducts research through the Indiana University School of Medicine.
Redondo-Ponce tutors students in English and Spanish and mentors others navigating the IB program.
“When you have a goal, do a backward plan,” she said. “See what you need to accomplish in the next steps. That’s an important thing to have instead of being overwhelmed with this huge goal.”
‘I’m not surprised’
English teacher Lisa Diethelm said Redondo-Ponce balanced the IB program’s demands with grace.
“She does a lot with extracurriculars. The IB program is challenging, and sometimes she’s stressed, but she always works through it,” Diethelm said. “She’s always calm. When she told me she got into Columbia, I was very excited, but I was also like, I’m not surprised.”
‘It doesn’t limit where you will go’
Redondo-Ponce said she wants students from similar backgrounds to know their starting point doesn’t define their future.
“I’ve done different things to show our students that it doesn’t matter where you come from,” she said. “It doesn’t limit where you will go.”
Redondo-Ponce will graduate from Shortridge High School this week and begin classes at Columbia University this fall.
