By Amanda Scurlock for The LA Sentinel
Originally published July 15, 2026
Dorian Franklin is going into his senior year at St. John Bosco with two associate’s degrees and 20 offers from universities.
Franklin has been playing varsity football for the Braves since his freshman season. He started as a wide receiver but made the switch to defense as a sophomore.
“Having the insight and the knowledge of being an offensive player initially helped my instincts on the defense side of the ball,” Franklin said. “Just knowing the indicators of what the receiver or what the offense is trying to do.”
His efforts on defense helped St. John Bosco become the fifth-best team in California and the 18th in the nation.
“I was recognized as a defensive captain for my junior year,” Franklin said. “To be recognized by a lot of the coaches as a defensive captain meant that I was doing everything right; I was being a leader on and off the field.”
Franklin started taking community college classes during his freshman year. He took an arts and a music appreciation class to understand how rigorous it would be to balance the workload. He ultimately got a degree in interdisciplinary studies and communications.
“Having two associate’s degrees helped my time management,” Franklin said. “It helped me be more responsible and disciplined.”
As a freshman and a sophomore, Franklin was class president at St. John Bosco. He was the vice president of his junior class. Franklin noted how he worked to have more events on campus.
“St. John Bosco is all boys and a lot of the time, boys really don’t like to do much,” he said. “Planning different events that people actually want to go to, it’s some of the memorable moments on student leadership.”
Franklin is a member of the Business of Student Success program. BOSS executive director and CEO Everett L. Glenn used his network to help Franklin when he was training to be a defensive player.
Franklin was also on the President’s Honors Roll; he has taken Advanced Placement Calculus and English Language.
“Entering high school, I always had accomplishments and goals for myself,” he said. “Achieving and keeping a 4.0 GPA, that’s what the President’s Honor Roll was.”
Outside of athletics and academics, Franklin is working on a journal called “Train, Build Brand” with his father. Franklin noted how both of his parents taught him the importance of persistence and discipline.
“It’s a journal to track your progress when you train,” Franklin said. “Me and my dad wanted to put that in a book and have a template for the younger generation to see what I’m doing and replicate that.”