There is little which appears different about Oakdale High School senior Mylee Napiontek.

To her teachers and fellow Mustangs, Mylee appears like everyone else. A busy senior, figuring out her future, while she makes the most of her final days as a high school student, the same as most of her classmates.

Yet there is something which sets her apart from the majority of her class. A difference which most recently earned her the honor of a $500 scholarship as the Stanislaus County Office of Education’s regional recipient of the “Every Student Succeeding” program.

Mylee was named the 2026 recipient from a group of 26 students just like herself who had overcome obstacles or barriers and achieved success.

“I was pretty excited. A little nervous, but proud of myself,” Mylee shared of first learning of her nomination.

Earlier this month the 18-year-old learned she had secured more than the nomination, as her story had inspired her selection of receiving the overall recognition.

“I was extremely shocked. It was so surprising but I was so excited,” Mylee said of winning the $500 scholarship.

Yet it was not her initial report of abuse and neglect by her mother, which brought her justice. Despite these allegations to authorities her freshman year, Mylee and her younger sister were sent back to their mother. Within weeks of being returned home by Child Protective Services, Mylee and her younger sister were abandoned as their mother left for Arizona.

“After a certain amount of time it was considered abandonment,” Mylee shared.

It was reported to the police and while her sister went to stay with an aunt, Mylee stayed with a friend’s family.

The Davidson family home had become a safe place for Mylee. Initially meeting through church, Mylee shared Amber Davidson often would bring her to their home late at night, providing safety and stability.

When the family learned of her mother’s abandonment, the Davidsons – Amber and Ryan – applied for Emergency Guardianship, which was granted immediately.

“I was pretty worried because I didn’t fully understand how the process works,” the OHS senior said of the process. “I didn’t know you could just go apply for guardianship and it goes through, which it’s not supposed to be that way … because of the circumstances it ended up that way.”

Recognizing she wanted a better life for herself, with the encouragement of her new family and some additional guidance, the Davidsons petitioned for permanent guardianship. A process that is normally extensive was granted within two months.

“Now I live with my ‘family,’ I call them my family because they have guardianship of me now,” she said of the Davidsons. “Since then, I’ve done so much better in school. I come to school every day. I get straight A’s now. I got accepted at Stan State.”

While at Stanislaus State University, Mylee plans to double major in Liberal Studies and English.

“I want to teach, but I want to move up to administration. I don’t want to stay teaching,” she noted of her overall goal to be an administrator. “Like Mrs. (Shannon) Kettering, it’s such an inspiration seeing how she can change kids’ lives. It’s really impacted me and I want to have a higher role like that.”

Ultimately Mylee shared her gratitude for all those who have helped her with this new beginning; an opportunity to better herself and her life.

“I just want to be a better person, I want to make a change in generational trauma,” she stated.

Mylee hopes by telling her story it can help someone else going through something similar to know they’re not alone.

“Feeling alone was one of the hardest things, but having the support system like I did was very helpful,” she shared.

And though tough, school was also key to keeping her grounded.

“It was hard, but it was also nice to have a distraction,” Mylee said of going through all she did while in school. “It (school) was something I could put all of my focus into. This is the one thing I can control. Being able to control when I get my schoolwork done, how I do my schoolwork and if my grades are good.”

Now as she looks to her future and acknowledges all she’s accomplished at a young age, Mylee has chosen not to speak with her biological mother. Instead, she is focused more on healing that part of her life.

“It’s hard to think that’s my mom, but then there are days when I think I’m doing much better now,” she said. “I couldn’t even imagine where I would be if I stayed with her.”

She’s also grateful to those who stepped up for her.

“I just had the right people in my corner,” she continued of how she kept going. “Every single day there was something new, saying okay this is going in your favor. It was never swinging the other way.”

OHS Vice Principal Kettering added the student’s resilience and courage largely were to be accounted for in this story, noting that she continued to advocate for herself and the betterment of her life.

“She was looking at other people that in her eyes were successful, what did they have that she didn’t,” Kettering said. “It was education, so her orientation was I’ve got to do school … she just understood and she understood that sometimes she needed to work hard even when she didn’t have any work left in her.”

“I’m really proud of myself for not falling down and keep going,” Mylee said of the overall process and where she is today. “You can always just keep on going and if you continue to advocate for yourself that’s probably the best thing you can possibly do.”

As for the win and the acknowledgement by her administrators and Stanislaus County, the senior couldn’t be happier.

“It means so much, because it shows that somebody actually saw what I was going through and everybody around me has told me they’re proud of me,” she said. “That means a lot because it shows me my struggles were not nothing.”