Santa Barbara High School senior Shelby Reyes did not expect to cry during her third-period math class on Friday. She took her seat beneath a whiteboard crowded with equations, puzzled by the presence of her principal and other unfamiliar adults. Then she saw her mom — clutching a bouquet of flowers with tears streaming down her cheeks — followed by an oversized, $50,000 check with her name on it.
The tears came instantly.
Reyes had just been named one of 30 “Edison Scholars,” a distinction awarded each year to students across Southern California Edison’s service area who plan to pursue careers in STEM. Since 2006, Edison International has given out 30 scholarships annually, each worth $50,000, to help students attend college…