This article is part of a series of profiles of 2025 graduating seniors in Salem high schools that will be published over the coming week. See the full series here .

Jules Eslava felt lost.

During his first two years at McNary High School, he struggled with attendance, grades and attitude.

But his junior year, he decided he wanted to better himself and prepare for college. So, he went to his counselor and asked for help.

“I don’t want to be in this cycle and just not be no one in life,” he recalled thinking. “I need to change.”

Eslava’s Fs turned to As. He went from skipping class to showing up every day. He grew from a shy boy into a soft-spoken but confident young man.

Eslava graduated on June 4 and is wasting no time. He’s enrolled to start at Chemeketa Community College thi

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