Perla Hernandez Bonilla

Bostrom High School

Perla Hernandez Bonilla is a senior at Bostrom High School who comes from a very large family with 7 siblings on her mother's side and 11 siblings on her father's side. She mainly spent her childhood with 2 of her siblings, a brother and a sister, who are closest to her in age. Perla's high school journey has not been easy, since it took trial and error to find out what worked best for her. She began her high school journey at North High School, where she struggled due to the size of the campus. She needed a different environment to study in, and eventually found her way to Bostrom during her third year of high school. Since coming to Bostrom, Perla has maintained a 4.0 GPA and has thrived in the small school environment.

With Bostrom being a more tight-knit community, Perla feels that it has been easier for her to build relationships with her teachers and receive extensive one-on-one assistance when she needs it. She is excited about graduating high school, especially since her mother was only able to receive an education up until third grade. After graduation, Perla plans to apply to Gateway Community College to study a major related to the medical field.  Her career goal is to become a Respiratory Therapist, helping individuals with various lung conditions. 

Something that Perla has found a passion for is designing clothing. She would like to take her hobby further and design a clothing line for fun someday. Perla hopes to learn to sew and bring her designs to life. As words of encouragement for other high school students, Perla says, "I know it can be hard to get up and do something when you're not in the right headspace, but it's all going to be worth it in the end. This education is free for us right now, so we should take advantage of it." 

Click here to see a TikTok featuring Perla.