Class of 2026: RBO Senior Scholars
To earn an RBO scholarship, our seniors train for and complete a half marathon, volunteer in their community, write a reflection, and show up to professional development sessions with members our board. These ten did all of it while finishing high school in Oakland. Here's who they are and where they're headed!
ANALI CONTRERAS MARTINEZ
Encinal High School
Anali has been a student runner with RBO for four years, and she approaches running the same way she approaches everything: with a full heart and a positive mindset. Her favorite memory is her first 10k — running through pouring rain, crossing the finish line, and getting handed a plastic sweater by volunteers. Before a big race, you'll find her warming up to Reggaeton — J Balvin, Maluma, Celia Cruz. She's heading to the College of Alameda to study fashion design and she plans to keep running long after her RBO days: next up, a full marathon.
"I'm grateful I can move my body — that I can sit, walk, dance, and run."
Next steps: College of Alameda | Fashion Design
SONGYI HE
Oakland Tech
SongYi joined RBO in 2021 and brought one thing above all else: good energy. Her favorite memory? Running with her sister and making new connections along the way. Her advice to younger runners is just as uncomplicated: go out there and have fun. She's headed to a four-year college next fall.
"Go out there and have fun!"
Next steps: 4-year college
GRIFFIN MATZEN
Latitude High School
Four years. Four half-marathons. One PR of 1:28. Griffin has run every one of those races with coaches and teammates alongside him, and he's quick to name them: school coaches Mrs. Tomei, Mr. Matt, Mr. Castro, and RBO coaches Christine, Enrique, Rick, & Chun. He credits them with pushing him beyond what he thought was possible. After graduation, Griffin is heading to LA to study film production — and plans to run a marathon before he gets there. (He and fellow senior Jude are training together.) His mindset going into any race: "I've already done it."
"Go in with the mindset that you've already done it rather than thinking it's impossible."
Next steps: College in LA | Film Production | Marathon training (with Jude!)
CITLALI MORFIN ROMERO
Oakland School for the Arts
Citlali has been part of the RBO family since 8th grade — four years as a student runner, one as a Youth Coach. Her favorite RBO memory is her first runner's high. Her next chapter is a college near Oakland, studying to become a speech therapist for kids — and staying close enough to someday come back as a mentor.
"Don't let motivation run your life — it'll run out. Discipline is what matters most."
Next steps: College nearby | Speech therapy | Future RBO mentor
SOLEIL PERRON-WALLACE
Oakland High School
Soleil first joined RBO in 4th grade — a part of this community for nearly a decade, through rain, mud, and one particularly memorable 5k around the lake. Soleil tells a story about a coach in a blue shirt who, when Soleil planned to start walking at the green bridge, responded with: "No, we're going to speed up." Soleil then ran the whole thing. That moment — pushing harder when it's most challenging — is the one Soleil keeps coming back to. Next year, Soleil’s heading to college and hoping to run D3 track.
"I really appreciate everything that running has done for me. I don't know where I would be without it."
Next step: College | Hoping to run D3
ISHAAN RAJAN
Oakland Technical High School
Ishaan came to RBO as a runner and stayed as a leader — with two years spent as a Youth Coach. His favorite memory is the relays, and his philosophy is always team-first. He's heading to Cal Poly SLO to study Agricultural Business, but the RBO community, he says, is everything to him.
"Teamwork is everything because success is not an individual effort but a collective one."
Next step: Cal Poly SLO | Agricultural Business
ENRIQUE RODRIGUEZ JR.
Oakland High School
Enrique has been running with RBO since 4th grade — which makes him one of the longest-tenured members of this year's senior class. He's seen it all: the early mornings, the training slogs, the races. His most memorable moment? Grabbing what he thought was water at the Oakland Half Marathon aid station and splashing electrolytes on his head instead. He'll be attending San Jose State University after graduation, carrying with him a philosophy built on years of showing up: running is discipline, and the more you put in, the more you get back.
"Running is dedication. The more you run, the faster and better you will get. It's how disciplined you are running every day."
Next step: San Jose State University
MINERVA RODRIGUEZ
Saint Mary's College High School
Minerva's history with RBO goes back to spring 2015 — over a decade of this community, interrupted only by the pandemic, after which she came back not as a runner but as a Youth Coach for all four years of high school. She's someone who knows what consistency actually looks like over a long stretch of time, and her advice reflects that: keep working hard on your goals, because it truly pays off. Her favorite RBO memories are the Turkey Trots — and one in particular stands out, when Thanksgiving fell on her birthday and the race felt like a celebration just for her. She's heading to Seattle University to study environmental engineering, and plans to keep racing on her own terms.
"Consistency is key. Keep working hard on your goals because it truly pays off at the end."
Next step: Seattle University | Environmental Engineering
JUDE STRINGER
Latitude High
Jude has been running with RBO for four years. A runner since 5th grade, when his dad would wake him up on weekends for early morning miles, Jude has turned that shared ritual into something all his own. This spring, he crossed the half marathon finish line having trained not just with RBO, but on his own time, logging eleven-mile training runs before race day. He's heading to college to study Kinesiology, planning a career in health and wellness — and, not incidentally, is already training for his first full marathon this summer.
"My commitment to myself and my goals is what gets me pumped. Once I've committed to a run, I follow through."
Next step: College | Kinesiology
AVA VICTORIANO
Oakland School for the Arts
Ava has been part of the RBO community for five years. Her favorite memory is the Turkey Trot and her advice to younger runners is to run with friends and in fun costumes to make it even more fun! She's heading to Cal State LA next fall.
"Run with friends and in fun costumes!"
Next step: Cal State LA