Per Aspera Ad Astra is Latin for “through hardship to the stars,” and Fillmore High School senior George Mooradian says it’s an ideal description of his life.
George never knew his father, who left the family before he was born. Then, when he was eight years old, he lost his mom too when a severe asthma attack unexpectedly took her life. He was taken in by his aunt, who has raised him ever since. “We leaned on each other a lot,” he says. “It was obviously a very dark time for our family, and we helped each other through it as best as possible.”