Kenia Ramirez and Isabel Reyna Nunez, best friends and Park City High School graduates, will board a flight to Tokyo on Monday, Aug. 17, becoming the first students in the Park City Education Foundation's Bright Futures program to pursue their entire college education overseas.

The two first-generation college students will attend Temple University Japan, the oldest and largest American university in Japan, where they plan to live in dorms in the same apartment building. Between them, they secured 11 scholarships covering Ramirez's first year almost entirely and funding Reyna Nunez's full four years of tuition.

Ramirez plans to study art, with an interest in blending her love of manga and visual storytelling with science and engineering through biomimicry. Her first year is nearly paid for through five scholarships: a Latinos in Action Scholarship, a Back to Our Roots/1824 First Generation Scholarship, a Bright Futures Scholarship, a MAC Scholarship and the TUJ Kyoto Inaugural Scholarship.

"When I actually got accepted, my mom and I started crying in shock," Ramirez told the Park City Education Foundation. "She is nervous and excited. I am nervous and excited! But, knowing the story of her sacrifice... achieving this is the least I could do for her. She's the reason I got this far."

Ramirez's mother moved to Park City from her home country to give her children access to a better education and a safer life. Now her daughter is crossing the Pacific to do the same thing in her own way.

Reyna Nunez earned six scholarships that fully fund four years of tuition: the 2026 Michael & Sandrina Villegas Range First Gen Hispanic College Student Scholarship, a Back to Our Roots/1824 First Generation Scholarship, Sterling Scholars funding, a Bright Futures Scholarship, the Lala G. Martinez Memorial Scholarship and a Latinos In Action Scholarship. She plans to major in international affairs and political science, with the goal of working as a diplomat for the United Nations.

"This world is so big," Reyna Nunez said. "How could I not be drawn to visit every place I can?"

Already fluent in English and Spanish, with some French and Portuguese, she plans to add Japanese and Korean while in Tokyo. She graduated from Park City High School with a full year of college credits through concurrent enrollment and worked on Main Street to build savings.

Kenia discovered Temple University Japan first and encouraged Isabel to apply.

Both were accepted.

Bright Futures counselor Pepper Elliott and Dream Big's Ms. Moffatt helped both students navigate university funding, identify scholarships and complete applications, according to the Park City Education Foundation.

The Bright Futures program, which serves first-generation students at Park City High School, has produced 30 college graduates and currently supports 70 students enrolled in college. The program awarded $150,000 in scholarships for the 2026-27 academic year. Nationally, only 24% of first-generation students earn a bachelor's degree by age 24; Bright Futures students have achieved a 50% graduation rate and a 74% progression rate.

Temple University Japan enrolls more than 3,300 degree-seeking students and charges approximately $12,000 per year in tuition. Classes begin later in August.