Nomar Nunez leaves Lompoc High School as one of those students who truly sticks with you. At 17, he has transformed profound loss into extraordinary purpose.

Tragedy struck during freshman year when his mother suffered a brain aneurysm while visiting family in Mexico on Dec. 26, 2021. After three weeks in a coma and two surgeries, she passed away on Jan. 12, 2022. Nomar was just 15.

Rather than derailing his future, the loss strengthened his resolve.

"I finished freshman year like my mom would have expected me to," he said, maintaining straight A's while battling grief and depression.

Moving from Richmond to Lompoc made sophomore year even harder —starting over while grieving left him isolated. Yet those perfect grades never wavered.

The turning point came junior year after another

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