NHI kicks off Decision Day 2026 celebrations touting student successes from coast to coast

For high school students in the Class of 2026, picking which college to attend is a monumental decision. NHI students apply at an advantage, gathering information at college fairs run in conjunction with Lorenzo de Zavala Youth Legislative Sessions, before unlocking knowledge of the college application process through the Collegiate World Series program, with the support of some of our most engaged College Register member schools. But making the final choice is still the culmination of months of hard work and high emotions. 

NHI launched Decision Day (celebrated on May 5 or the weekday closest to it) as a way to honor seniors and to show all the pathways that aspiring young leaders are taking. While NHI views college as just a step — albeit an important one – on a student’s leadership journey, it’s also an achievement to be accepted by a university or liberal arts college, and as you’ll see throughout the month — as we can no longer confine Decision Day celebrations to just a single day — it’s an impressive group of students who utilize NHI as a springboard to a wide array of schools. 

Go to NHI’s Instagram page to see the first day of NHI Decision Day posts, and return to see additional posts throughout the month, as there are far too many success stories to confine to a single day. You can also create your own social media posts using the #nhidecisionday26 hashtag, and you can also submit a Google Form if you’d like us to create a post on your behalf. 

Here are a few of the students we’ll be highlighting today and throughout the month on NHI social media channels. 

Emmanuel Gutierrez

West Career and Technical Academy, Las Vegas, Nevada

Headed to The George Washington University

What did you learn about yourself and your capabilities as a student through NHI?

Through NHI, I learned the importance of working hard to achieve my goals. During the LDZ elections, I campaigned for Supreme Court Justice, which required me to introduce myself to strangers and deliver a speech to a large audience. As NHI taught me, “If it’s up to me, it’s meant to be.” Taking responsibility for my own success and believing in myself allowed me to win the title of Outstanding Supreme Court Justice.

How did participating in NHI impact your college decision?

NHI connected me with Federico Glitman, an admissions officer from The George Washington University (GW) who selected me for his CWS team. This experience gave me a first-hand look at what GW offers. Before CWS, I had several college options, but didn’t feel a strong connection to any of them. Thanks to NHI, I realized that GW in Washington, D.C., was the only place I could truly picture myself for the next four years.

Why did you decide to go to The George Washington University?

I chose GW for its specialized majors and diverse educational opportunities. My culture and a career in politics are both very important to me, and GW allows me to combine these interests through the Latin American and Hemispheric Studies major. The program focuses on U.S.-Latin American international relations while providing a foundation in political science. I haven’t found another school with a major that fits my goals so perfectly.

What do you envision for yourself in college and beyond, and what doors do you think college will open for you?

After college, I plan to attend law school and become an immigration attorney to fight for the rights of immigrants. Studying at GW will help me become well-versed in international law so I can advocate for citizenship and protect those coming to the United States. Being in the heart of D.C. will also provide opportunities to intern on the Senate floor and begin building my professional network.

Claire Nestor

College of Southern Nevada High School, Las Vegas, Nevada

Headed to Colorado State University

What did you learn about yourself and your capabilities as a student through NHI?

I learned a lot about my capabilities to be more of a leader than I ever thought I could. While at NHI, I found my voice and learned that I could make my ideas heard while respecting others’ ideas.

How did participating in NHI impact your college decision?

Participating at NHI helped me make my college decision because I was able to understand what living on a college campus would be like and understand what parts I liked and didn’t.

Why did you decide to go to Colorado State University?

I decided to attend Colorado State University because it provided the best opportunities for me, as I have my associate’s degree already, and CSU gives me a place to explore potential career options. Attending NHI helped me realized that this was the school for me as I loved my time on campus during the LDZ.

What do you envision for yourself in college and beyond, and what doors do you think college will open for you?

For college, I hope that I will learn more about myself and decide what I want to do as a career. I think college will open a lot of doors for me to take classes that might interest me and get internships in potential career options.

Aiden Lozano

Central Catholic High School, San Antonio, Texas

Headed to Tulane University

What did you learn about yourself and your capabilities as a student through NHI?

Through NHI, I learned that I am capable of much more than I originally believed, especially when it comes to leadership and teamwork. Before my time with NHI, I mostly saw myself as someone who worked hard academically, but NHI pushed me into situations where I had to think critically, communicate under pressure, and collaborate with people with varying backgrounds and perspectives. 

What surprised me the most was realizing how much I enjoyed working with people working toward solutions that could actually help a community. NHI really changed the way I think about leadership. I realized it is not just about leading discussions or being in charge, but about connecting with people, hearing different perspectives, and being willing to step up for something bigger than yourself. 

NHI also helped me reconnect with my culture and think more deeply about the kind of impact I want to have in the future. It made me realize that I do not want my education to just be about personal success. I want it to prepare me to serve others in communities like my own as well as other underserved communities.

How did participating in NHI impact your college decision, and why did you decide to go to Tulane?

Participating in NHI had a huge impact on both the way I viewed my future and the way I approached my college decision. Before NHI, I mostly thought about college in terms of academics or even career opportunities, but NHI helped me realize I wanted something deeper from my education. It introduced me to leadership not just as a skill, but as a responsibility to serve others, understand different perspectives, and to help change the future in a positive way.

Through NHI, I discovered how much I value learning about real societal and political issues. It pushed me to think critically while also helping me reconnect more deeply with my culture and the kind of impact I want to have in the future. That experience completely changed what I was looking for in a university. I knew I wanted a place that would challenge me academically while also giving me opportunities to grow through real-world experiences. 

That is why Tulane University stood out to me so strongly. When I learned about the Altman Program, it honestly felt like the real-world continuation of everything NHI first sparked in me. NHI gave me the foundation by teaching me how to collaborate, communicate, and lead with purpose. The Altman Program felt like the place where I could actually apply those lessons in a real-world setting.

What especially drew me to the program was its focus on cultural immersion, language learning, international studies, and service. I have become really interested in the political world, and I think the opportunity to spend time in different countries learning directly from people and cultures around the world would give me the tools I need to help with the political world. I do not want leadership to be only something I study in a classroom. I want my understanding of people, politics, and the world to come from real experiences and human connection, because I believe that is what helps someone grow and become a leader in their communities. That is what made Tulane feel different to me.

Beyond academics, I was also drawn to the culture and energy of New Orleans itself. It is such a vibrant and unique city filled with history, diversity, and character. Being in an environment like that feels inspiring because it encourages people to always be open.

More than anything, Tulane felt aligned with the kind of person I am becoming. NHI was what first helped me see myself as someone capable of being a leader. A change maker. And Tulane felt like the place where I could continue building that purpose into something real and lasting.

What do you envision for yourself in college and beyond, and what doors do you think college will open for you?

In college and beyond, I envision myself becoming someone who can create change in my community. I want to continue growing into a person who understands different cultures and political issues and can use those experiences to help communities around me.

I think college will open doors for me not only academically and professionally, but personally as well. Through opportunities like the Altman Program, I hope to immerse myself in different cultures, strengthen my language skills, and gain firsthand experience working with communities around the world. 

I also hope college opens doors into areas like public policy, and international relations, because I want my future work to have a real purpose centered around helping people and supporting others like me; people who want to make a difference in the world.

NHI was what first inspired me to see leadership as a responsibility to create positive change, and I see Tulane as the place where I can continue building that purpose into something real and lasting.

Nancy Ortiz

Memphis Rise Academy, Memphis, Tennessee

Headed to Barnard College of Columbia University

What did you learn about yourself and your capabilities as a student through NHI?

I learned how to speak for myself and lift up the voice for others. I also learned that I can do things myself without needing to rely on my friends or family to do it with me.

How did participating in NHI impact your college decision?

NHI helped me with a narrative for my personal statement. It also helped me realize that I can thrive in an environment miles and miles away from home.

How did participating in NHI impact your college decision, and why did you decide to go to Barnard College?

I decided to go to Columbia because it gave me the most support for STEM course through Barnard College. It also allows me to get a master’s degree in just five years instead of waiting to graduate from undergrad. 

What do you envision for yourself in college and beyond, and what doors do you think college will open for you?

I envision my life in college to be filled with people who are supporting me. I hope to have gotten my masters’ degree in Biomedical Engineering and uplift the community I came from through mentorship.

Lizmarie Osorio

Academy of Mount Saint Ursula, The Bronx, NY

Headed to the University of Southern Mississippi

What did you learn about yourself and your capabilities as a student through NHI? 

Through NHI, I have learned that I am more capable than I thought I was. Before attending the Northeast Great Debate in 2023, I was unsure of myself and I wasn’t confident in my abilities. However, after being surrounded by a group of like-minded, intelligent, and uniquely talented collection of people, that all changed me for the better. Now I am more confident in my capabilities and talents, which means everything to how I move through this world.

How did participating in NHI impact your college decision? 

Participating in NHI greatly impacted my college decision. Attending NHI programs exposed me to different college campuses, from very small campuses like Saint Francis University to larger campuses like St Mary’s. It also emphasized the values of NHI, which shaped how I went about looking at universities, included the NHI fundamental Behave Like A Stakeholder. During my college decision process, I looked for schools that not only valued community involvement from an admissions standpoint but also from a cultural standpoint of the college itself. I wanted a college that not only recognized but encouraged students to be involved and take ownership and responsibility in making said university the best place to be and grow.

Why did you decide to go to Southern Mississippi?

I decided to go to Southern Miss because it was quite frankly the perfect school for me. Coming from a incredibly small high school, I knew I wanted a bigger campus, but I was aware that a large campus would inevitably overwhelm me. Not only does USM have a great education program, it truly is the embodiment of a campus culture that values everyone being involved in making it better. 

At USM, I was also awarded a scholarship in the Joe Paul Leadership Scholars Cohort, a program for incoming freshmen who were involved in high school, fostering continued leadership at Southern Miss. As a Joe Paul Leadership Scholar, I will be meeting with my cohort every week, where we will be discussing and being set up for leadership and service opportunities on and off campus, and building a community that doesn’t end freshman year but continues through graduation. 

What do you envision for yourself in college and beyond, and what doors do you think college will open for you? 

During my time at The University of Southern Mississippi, I strive to be involved on campus in all ways possible. I will be getting involved in sorority life on campus, plus with other organizations like the Eagle Connections Tour Guide Association, Diamond Darlings, and more. I also plan to continue my education as an elementary education major and hope to take advantage of USM’s student teaching programs, where I can student teach right in Hattiesburg or all the way across the world in Armenia if I chose. In all, I hope to leave USM better than how I found it and return the blessings that USM has given to me. After graduation at USM, I hope to stay in Mississippi and teach.