Illustration by Tabi Walters
Nadia Ochoa Peterson, a senior at Huron High School, never imagined herself at a highly competitive college. As a first-generation college applicant, Peterson navigated the process largely on her own—her mother, who did not attend college in the U.S., never once logged into her school portal.
This fall, Peterson will attend Barnard College on a full scholarship.
Peterson is one of many Huron seniors celebrating an exceptional admissions season. Four students were admitted to Yale—which Huron High college counselor Emily Mashal says may only take thirty students from the entire state—alongside acceptances to Columbia, Stanford, Northwestern, and Brown. More than ninety-five students were admitted to U-M, and several first-generation students earned spots at top institutions with full financial support.
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“I feel like Huron sometimes gets the short end of the stick in Ann Arbor Public Schools,” says Mashal, one of Huron’s seven college counselors. The school serves a large population of first-generation, low-income, and out-of-district students—factors Mashal says are often misunderstood. “But we were just so thrilled.”
Mashal says the outcomes are student-driven, based purely on academic merit, and credits Huron’s International Baccalaureate (IB) program with preparing students for the demands of selective colleges. The program emphasizes critical thinking, writing, and risk-taking—qualities many universities seek. To Mashal, it’s clear the investment is paying off.
“Most of my students will tell me when they get to Harvard or Michigan, ‘Huron was harder,’” she says.
Peterson, who maintained a 3.9 GPA without hands-on parental guidance, describes the process as one of strong self-reliance. She also credits Mashal as a guiding force.
“She was my parent figure when it came to college admissions,” Peterson says. “She’s genuinely the reason I’m going to a prestigious school.”
For Mashal, watching financial barriers fall away is one of the most rewarding parts of the job.
“Knowing that they’re going to be going for free is the best feeling in the world,” she says. “There’s no greater gratification as a counselor.”