This article is part of a series of profiles of 2025 graduating seniors in Salem high schools that will be published over the coming week. See the full series here.

Jules Eslava felt lost.

During his first two years at McNary High School, he struggled with attendance, grades and attitude.

But his junior year, he decided he wanted to better himself and prepare for college. So, he went to his counselor and asked for help. 

“I don’t want to be in this cycle and just not be no one in life,” he recalled thinking. “I need to change.”

Eslava’s Fs turned to As. He went from skipping class to showing up every day. He grew from a shy boy into a soft-spoken but confident young man.

Eslava graduated on June 4 and is wasting no time. He’s enrolled to start at Chemeketa Community College this summer. 

He was recently one of 23 students in the Salem-Keizer School District to earn the Turnaround Achievement Award, an honor reserved for students who overcame the odds.

Eslava also graduated from the district’s dual language program. Switching between English and Spanish classes is a difficult undertaking, but he excelled, according to his teacher, Said Gonzalez-Ruano.

Eslava said if his sophomore self saw the progress he’s now made, he wouldn’t have believed it.

“I feel like over the years, I grew up, matured and just learned how to be more respectful towards other people,” he said.

During Eslava’s freshman year, he met Gonzalez-Ruano, who would later become his mentor.

Gonzalez-Ruano said he saw potential in Eslava early on and told him what he was capable of.

Eslava didn’t always know what he wanted to do with his life after high school. Without a goal to work toward, he frequently skipped class and didn’t do schoolwork.

When he did show up to class, he was shy and quiet. But the times he did open up, Gonzalez-Ruano was impressed by his confidence and maturity.

Eslava said he didn’t like asking for help. Eventually, he said, “I saw that if I don’t ask for help, no one’s gonna help.”

He also said there was a time when issues at home affected his school life. “Then, I picked it up on my own, fixed my issues, learned how to grow with it,” he said.

Gonzalez-Ruano said after Eslava realized he wanted to go to college, he started challenging himself. He watched Eslava become more responsible and learn that every action has consequences. 

He said he sees a lot of students struggle with their identity, and Eslava has set a positive example both for his peers and teachers. 

“It doesn’t matter where you come from, it doesn’t matter how you start, but what matters is how you finish,” he said. “Jules is finishing strong.”

When Eslava learned he’d won a Turnaround Achievement award, he said he couldn’t believe it. 

“This was something I was not expecting,” he said. It motivated him to “keep on pushing, keep on trying, keep on going.”

Asked what the secret to his success is, Eslava promptly responded, “Fake it ‘till you make it.”

“I feel like if you fake your confidence, people will think you’re confident,” he said. “You just live by it.”

He experienced bullying from an early age and still does occasionally, but said he’s learned to ignore it. “It doesn’t affect me. I just shrug it off,” he said.

Gonzalez-Ruano said Eslava demonstrates maturity for his age by balancing classes with “being responsible at home,” his social life and his job at an ice cream shop. 

Eslava said he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, traveling and playing with his labradoodle.

A fashion enthusiast, he also makes an effort to dress well and watches fashion shows in his free time. 

At Chemeketa, Eslava said he wants to study business and pursue a career in real estate. He also hopes that work will better equip him to get a home where he and his family can live together.

Eslava said he would advise other students that it’s never too late to change for the better and become a good student. He tries to motivate his friends to “lock in” and stay focused, he said.

Gonzalez-Ruano described Eslava as kind, respectful and humble.

“He is capable of doing anything that he puts his mind into,” he said. “When the classroom feels down, he brings it up. So, he has a natural light, the natural leadership that I’m sure anywhere he goes to, he’ll bring with him.”

Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053.

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