A Milken scholar, Alyssa Finigan from Mira Costa High School

Alyssa Finigan, a 2025 graduate from Mira Costa High School, was named one of 11 Milken Scholars in Los Angeles County.  The Milken scholarship program honors high school seniors each year with a $10,000 cash prize and lifelong access to college advising, career counseling, internship assistance, community service opportunities, and a fund to help with graduate school applications, unpaid internships, study abroad programs, and other costs associated with their pursuit of a career.

According to the award recognition, Finigan hopes to pursue a career in law and strives to be a peacemaker in the world around her.  She was also named a 2024 National AP Scholar with Distinction and is a member of the National Honor Society and a California Scholarship Federation awardee. As a result of her leadership starting a Model U.N. youth program, she received nine Advanced Best Delegate Awards, ranked second in wins out of 170 students, and placed in the top three for awards at over 20 conferences. As co-lead of the Beach Cities Health District Youth Advisory Council, she served as an ambassador for the allcove youth mental health center—welcoming over 1,000 visitors—and advocated for expanded youth mental health resources. At Red Shield Tutoring, she facilitated lessons for students in underserved areas, and with the Coding for Change club, she brought a technology program to a local school and taught youth valuable coding skills.

Finigan will study sociology and international relations at Barnard College.