As they ready themselves to join 588 of their classmates and graduate from Pioneer Valley High School, scholar-athletes Monique Sandoval and Colter Souza say they owe all their success to their families.

Raised by single mothers and influenced by heavily-involved grandparents, the teens said the unconditional love that has surrounded them since the day they were born has prepared them for college life and beyond.

Sandoval and Souza - who each earned higher than a 4.0 grade-point average and excelled in at least two varsity sports - both have plans to enter the criminal justice field.

“(My family) has made me into what I am today,” Sandoval said. “Everything I've ever wanted to do, they've tried their best to help me do it.”

Sandoval's mom, Espie Ruiz, gave birth to her at age 16, and two years later, Sandoval's sister, Ashley, arrived.

Despite her teenage struggles, Ruiz finished her bachelor's degree at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and went on to become a teacher.

“She's been my big inspiration,” Sandoval said. “My whole life, she always tried to keep us involved.”

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And involved Sandoval was.

In addition to serving as class president for three years - including her senior year - Sandoval also played volleyball and ran track for the Panthers, and participated on a club basketball team until her junior year.

When she wasn't busy with school activities, Sandoval worked as a waitress at her grandparents' restaurant, Bricks, in Santa Maria.

This fall, Sandoval is heading to Connecticut to attend the University of New Haven, where she will become part of the university's celebrated forensic-science program in the hopes of landing a job with the FBI upon graduation.

The program takes a hands-on approach to forensics, even assigning upperclassmen to cold cases and having them work with law enforcement agents to solve them.

New Haven is “perfect in every aspect,” Sandoval said. “Ever since I was in the third grade, I've wanted to live on the East Coast.”

Sandoval said she is most looking forward to solving her very first case.

“I'm going to dedicate it to my family,” she said.

Souza has had a home life similar to Sandoval as his parents divorced when he was 4.

With his father often absent, Souza's mother, Michelle, was largely left to raise her two children, Souza and his brother, Skyler, alone.

However, being raised by a single mom “really hasn't been too difficult because my mom had worked really hard to get me what I need,” Souza said.

Seeing how hard his mother worked, he added, inspired him to do well in school.

“(My mom's) always been on my back, telling me I'm going to go somewhere,” Souza said.

And he's well on his way to “going somewhere.”

At Pioneer Valley, Souza earned a 4.2 grade-point average, and played both varsity football and baseball.

Of the two sports, Souza said, it's baseball that's his first love.

“It's been the constant in my life,” he said, adding that he began playing the sport as a 4-year-old.

Souza said he hopes to play baseball for Long Beach State beginning in spring 2009.

Upon his graduation from college, Souza said, he hopes to enter the ranks of the California Highway Patrol.

Both Souza and Sandoval said they are looking forward to next year, although it will be hard to leave their families behind.

However, Souza said being away from his family has a plus side, because he will have the opportunity to really spread his wings for the first time.

“I can be independent,” he said.

Pioneer Valley's graduation will take place Friday at 5 p.m. at the school stadium, 675 Panther Drive in Santa Maria.

Natalie Ragus can be reached at 347-4580 or nragus@santamariatimes.com

June 4, 2008