MARYSVILLE — Zachary Willard and Alex Arellano have been named two of Marysville Mountain View High School’s vocational students of the quarter.

Willard, 17, transferred to Mountain View from the Arts and Technology High School as a freshman three years ago, while Arellano, 18, came to Mountain View during his junior year last year, after stints at Marysville-Pilchuck High School and the School Home Partnership Program. Arellano has been balancing his studies with working to support himself and his 3-year-old daughter, and agreed with Willard than the learning environment of Mountain View has helped him meet his academic goals.

Both Willard and Arellano expect to obtain associate’s degrees from Everett Community College, but from there, their plans diverge. Willard is interested in working in the healthcare industry, while Arellano would like to become a business leader.

“I’ve been trying to get into medical science,” Willard said. “The way the economy is now, it seems like a secure job field. Hospitals need nurses.”

“At first, I was thinking of becoming a construction manager, because I like working with my hands, but my teachers told me that I’m a good leader,” said Arellano, who plans to get his MBA at Western Washington University. “The insights into the business world that I’ve gained here at Mountain View have given me the passion to become a CEO.”

While Willard appreciates that Mountain View has allowed him to study independently and at his own pace, he advised other students not to fall into the trap of procrastination. He and Arellano agreed that a high school diploma is essential for an adult to obtain a self-supporting job in the modern world, something that Arellano admitted he hadn’t realized until he began raising a child.

“I saw that I needed to better myself if I was going to do something with my life,” Arellano said. “It gave me the motivation I needed to pursue my dreams. If you work hard and passionately enough, you can achieve anything.”

“Even if you’ve messed up in the past, you can make up and catch up with enough effort,” Willard said.