On Education: Annika Wagner

Most high schools in California require around 60 hours of community service in order to graduate. What does it mean when a student does 40 times that amount?

Eighteen-year-old Annika Wagner is a 2023 graduate of Dos Pueblos High School. During her junior high and high school years, she completed more than 2,000 hours of community service, for which she received the Merci Award (most hours volunteered) from the Santa Barbara Chapter of the National Charity League in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.

When asked what has motivated her to stay so involved, Annika cites her family: “I guess I just really like just being active in my community. When I was young, my mom was really instrumental in taking me to places and getting me involved,” says Annika. “I have been a part of Girl Scouts since I was six, I got my Gold Award last year, which was also a really awesome project to work on, and my brothers were both Boy Scouts, so I would say it’s a pretty big part of my family.”

But Annika’s achievements aren’t limited to volunteering. In addition to her community service, Annika has maintained a stellar academic record, earning a 4.85 GPA including 34 college credits through AP exams, Santa Barbara City College dual enrollment courses, and summer classes at University of Southern California. Annika is an all-star student, but she is especially driven in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects.

Annika was excited to attend Dos Pueblos because of the school’s Engineering Academy. But her interest in science started long before then. At 14 years old, Annika received a grant from NASA to start an astronomy club for her Girl Scouts chapter. As part of the award, Annika was invited to Washington, D.C., to tour the NASA facilities and talk to the operatives on the Cassini Mission.

“We spent a week learning from Professor Lou Mayo and got to see all the operation desks like in the movies. It was really fun to see. They taught us so much about the work they do at NASA,” she says.

Annika has continued with her passion for science through her volunteer work at Cottage Hospital. She says this, like all her experiences, has played a big role in informing what she wants to do for a career.

“I have been considering going into the medical field because you see a lot there and being at Cottage has been pretty meaningful – just the aspects of humanity you see. And I really enjoy that.” 

The newest feather in Annika’s cap is a $2,500 scholarship from the P.E.O., a national women’s philanthropic educational organization. Annika was awarded this scholarship for her excellence in leadership, academics, extracurricular activities, and community service.

“It was really nice – a big honor. I know they choose from a big pool of very talented young women, so it was just really nice to have my achievements awarded with that. It felt really special.”

Annika will be using this money to start her college journey this fall. She will attend the University of California, Los Angeles as a pre-psychology major and says she is excited for the independence of this next chapter in her life.