Bilguun Soronzonbold
Washington-Liberty High School
High school students are used to juggling a lot, but Bilguun “Bill” Soronzonbold has had a heavier load than most. When the pandemic arrived in 2020 and school moved online, he became the primary caregiver for his two younger brothers. His Mongolian immigrant parents both work at a grocery store in D.C. and could not do their jobs remotely.
Once his mom and dad left for work at 5 a.m., Soronzonbold was in charge of getting his siblings, ages 8 and 11, up for breakfast and logged in to school, troubleshooting any tech problems, making sure they were engaged and fixing them lunch—all while taking his own full load of online IB classes. He was also a member of the Key Club, captain of W-L’s track team and, with a friend, created and taught a computer science course to middle-schoolers.
“I was raised with a no-excuse mentality,” says the Arlington teen. “If I have a lot of deadlines, I’ll tell my coaches I can’t come to track practice, but I’ll do everything I can to get there anyway. That’s the expectation I set for myself.”
His family lives in a two-bedroom apartment at The Jordan, an affordable housing complex near Ballston Quarter that is operated by AHC Inc., which offers educational programs and social services. Soronzonbold, 18, is a College and Career Readiness (CCR) ambassador for the organization, talking to younger kids about the importance of education and coming up with ideas to promote CCR.
“Bill is a selfless leader in his family and very humble,” says Milenka Coronel, assistant director of education at AHC. “He never brags about his successes, but he’s grateful for everything that he has.”
Growing up in Arlington (his family immigrated to the U.S. when he was 6), Soronzonbold marveled at the county’s diversity—“I have white friends, Latino friends, Black friends,” he says—and searched for a college with a similar feel. This fall he’ll study computer science at Tufts University, with hopes of pursuing a career in that field.
“I like the freedom you get when you start a program,” he says. “It’s like a blank slate. It allows me to be creative in a setting where you don’t expect creativity.” –Lisa Lednicer