Compton Success Profiles: Samaria Bailey, Centennial High School
Media Release
Meet Samaria Bailey, proud Centennial High School Class of 2025 graduate!
This fall, Samaria is heading to Cal Poly Pomona to major in Animal Science/Pre-Veterinary with dreams of becoming a veterinarian. As a child, she aspired to be a doctor—but as her love for animals grew, so did her goal of becoming a doctor for animals.
Samaria moved from Lancaster to Compton in the third grade and struggled to connect. But everything changed at Centennial, where she found strong support from teachers and advisors who helped her thrive.
In 10th grade, she joined the volleyball team and built close bonds with her teammates and coaches. That experience gave her confidence and a greater sense of community.
If she could give her younger self advice, Samaria says she would remind herself to focus on her own path—and to listen to the encouragement of her mother, who gave her the push she needed.
Samaria values education deeply. She’s seen how easy it is for others to lose their way and how difficult it can be to get back on track. That perspective fuels her determination to stay focused and succeed.
Samaria Bailey is another incredible Compton Success story!