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Spotlight on Seniors
Each spring we invite a number of high school Crusaders to talk about their studies, their challenges and accomplishments, and their plans for the future. As graduation day approaches, they consider what they've achieved and get ready to take the next steps toward college and career success. Explore the Spotlight profiles below to learn more about these inspiring young people, and to hear their advice for younger students who are following in their footsteps.
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Katheryn Arias '11
 Graduating this year from: Classical High School. Favorite subject: Math. Also: Environmental Science and AP Biology. “I like doing experiments and making observations.” Memorable project: As a junior, she created a presentation on how breast cancer affects patients physically and emotionally. With help from: The Gloria Gemma Foundation. Recent accomplishment: Getting into Pace University, Rhode Island College, and the University of Rhode Island. Where she’s going: URI. To study: Science. Recent challenge: Writing essays for college applications while keeping on top of coursework. Support system: Her teachers and her sisters. Favorite Crusade program: Low ropes workshop on a field trip in middle school. “It was fun to get out of the classroom, and working in a team was a good experience.” About my Crusade Advisor: Helped her become an organized person. “She told me what I should be doing for the whole year.” Advice for Crusaders going into high school: “Focus on your work but also have fun. Meet as many new people as you can.” What she looks for in a friend: Trust and a comfortable feeling. Biggest unknowns about college: The work. The schedule. Dream job: Whatever combines research science and outdoors. In her free time: Plays first base on her high school softball team. Also: Demonstrates dance steps for students who take classes from her mom. Expert at: Waltz, Merengue, Salsa, Bachata, Tango.
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Jose Flores '11
 Graduating this year from: Blackstone Academy. Favorite subject: Math. “I like messing around with numbers.” Also likes: Economics. Senior project: A paper examining the cause and effect of poverty in America. Along with: Organizing a collection drive in his community to inspire people to donate personal hygiene products to local charities. Latest accomplishment: Getting into the University of Rhode Island’s Talent Development program. And: Being promoted to school yearbook editor. His latest editorial task: Covering the Boston ComicCon convention as team photographer. Latest major challenge: Realizing that he needed to become a more serious student, and stepping up his act. Favorite Crusade program: Crusade Adventure & Academic Program in middle school. What he looks for in a friend: Someone with different interests who can teach him new things. Advice for Crusaders going into high school: “Work hard your freshman year and don’t screw up.” In his free time: Martial arts, traditional Colombian dance, Boy Scouts, the Sci-Fi Club. Latest favorite sci-fi film: District 9. About my Crusade Advisor: “Very helpful. She pulled strings and got me an interview at very late notice on a campus that I wanted to visit.” Biggest unknown about college: “What’s out there for me? What are the possibilities?” Dream job: Still dreaming about it.
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Frederick Gobewole '11
 Graduating this year from: Blackstone Academy. Favorite subject: Social studies. In particular: The civil rights era. “It’s incredible to see how far we have come as a country since then.” Senior project: Features a video documentary he is creating. Working title: “The Life of a Student Athlete.” Latest accomplishment: He won both state and New England high school indoor track championships in the 55-meter dash. Not to mention: He’s a running back on his football team. Plans to attend: Butler College on a track scholarship. Fields of study that interest him: Business and communications. Latest challenge: Trying to be a good role model for his younger brother. Favorite Crusade program: Crusade Adventure & Academic Program, CAAP. “I made a lot of friends from other towns, and I remember it was fun to read the book Holes.” About my Crusade Advisor: “Always easy to talk to and interested in what I am doing. She helped me stay organized.” Advice for Crusaders going into high school: “Stay focused. Start early. Listen to the help that you get. You’ll have a lot of memories of high school, but at the end of the day it’s about you and what you want.” What he looks for in a friend: Trustworthiness. Biggest unknown about college: “Am I going to be able to take what I am being given and use it well?” Dream job: Any career that allows him to be a guide and supporter of kids who don’t have what they need to succeed. Latest favorite book: My Life, by Magic Johnson.
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Nathan Nunez '11
 Graduating this year from: Hope Information Technology High School. Favorite subject: English. “I like to learn new words and explore writing.” Latest favorite book: The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini. Latest accomplishment: “Graduating!” Featured in his senior portfolio: Community service work for RI Local Initiatives Support Corp. (www.rilisc.org). Latest challenge: Deciding to move to Utah to pursue his college education. Plans to attend: Bridgerland Applied Technology College. Career field of interest: Electrician. “Eventually I want to learn all the skilled trades, including carpentry and plumbing.” Why Utah: “The people there are very genuine and not in a rush all the time.” Also: There are mountains. And it’s an adventure. Support system: His sister, a Crusade alum, is a student at Utah State. Favorite Crusade programs: All the teamwork and leadership programs, plus SPIRIT and SAT Prep. About my Crusade Advisor: “He has really helped me a lot, especially with recommending colleges to visit.” Advice for Crusaders going into high school: “Don’t get lazy. Stay focused.” What he looks for in a friend: “Someone who I can connect to, who I can trust and who will be there.” Biggest unknown about college: “Will I be able to push myself to get all the work done?” Dream job: Plans to build a house. “I want the structure to be unique, with lots of glass and landscaping.” What he does for fun: Programming in C++.
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Bruce Reis '10
 Graduating this year from: Blackstone Academy. Favorite subject: History, especially Greek and Roman civilization. “I like learning about the past and people’s heritage and culture.” Senior project: Collaborating with friends to establish a music label called Forever Legend. His responsibility: The creative end. Mix tapes, logo, web site. Recent accomplishment: A research paper on how to be a successful businessperson, complete with business plan. Recent challenge: Keeping his life as a hip-hop musician alive while working and going to school. “I’ve been writing lyrics since I was nine and recording since I was fourteen.” Heroes: Michael Jackson and Nas. Favorite Crusade program: Crusade Adventure & Academic Program. Also: The summer Spirit program. “I like how it ties academics to community service. It’s more meaningful.” College plans: “Either Xavier University to study political science, or the University of Bridgeport to study the music business.” Advice for Crusaders going into high school: “Don’t be afraid to be yourself.” Biggest unknown about college: “Am I going to be happy spending four years here?” What he looks for in a friend: Loyalty and trust. Dream job: A career as a recording hip-hop artist with his own label. “I want to influence people with my music in a direction that motivates them in their lives.” What he values: Artistic freedom. What he does for fun: Hanging out with friends, making music.
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Elvis Huertas '10
 Graduating this year from: Blackstone Academy. Favorite subject: Math and science, chemistry in particular. “It’s so interesting how two chemicals can react to form another substance that is different from both of them.” Senior project: Researching how to help U.S. students improve their scientific literacy and assistant teaching a 9th-grade biology class. Recent accomplishment: Getting into Northeastern University, one of his first choices for college. “I’m excited about their co-op program in experiential learning.” His other first choice: Stonehill College. What he plans to study: Sciences. “If I decide to go into research, I’ll need to get my Ph.D.” Recent challenge: Serving as a teacher assistant for the Spirit program at Blackstone, where he created a lesson plan in criminology for students in grades 7-9. Favorite Crusade program: Spirit. He also teaches: Martial arts. Advice for Crusaders going into high school: “Don’t slack off. If you do, you’ll fall behind, and some of your options will close up.” What he looks for in a friend: Trust, reliability, common interests, being able to take a joke. Biggest unknown about college: How hard the classes will be. Not knowing anyone. How the teachers will teach. Dream job: Cancer or AIDS research, drug development. Secret fascination: Weapons design. What he does for fun: Playing the piano, graphic design, cooking, hanging out with friends.
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Erika Morales '10
 Graduating this year from: Willam M. Davies Jr. Career Technical High School. Favorite subject: She’s in the Cosmotology & Barbering program. “When I was younger, my mom worked a lot and my dad had to do my hair, so I learned pretty fast how to do it myself.” Senior project: She ran her own clinic at school, providing haircuts, manicures, pedicures, and facials, and donated all the proceeds to the American Cancer Society. Recent accomplishment: Getting her college applications in. “I pushed myself to take it seriously, and I got it done.” Recent challenge: Raising her grades so she would have a stronger application. How she did it: “I thought about myself and what I wanted to do in the future.” Favorite Crusade program: College visits. “It’s a chance to see what college life is like. It gives you a different perspective.” Plans to attend: Community College of Rhode Island for two years, then transfer to a four-year college. Field of study: Business. About my Advisor: “It’s definitely helped, being able to go to him and ask about my grades and how to improve them. Just the encouragement to go to college has meant a lot.” Advice for Crusaders going into high school: “Don’t worry too much about what your friends are doing. They won’t always be there when you decide you need to go forward in your life.” What she looks for in a friend: Someone who isn’t all about themselves but who cares about others. Biggest unknown about college: “I feel a little nervous about it. I’m the first in my family to go.” Dream job: “Owning my own salon. I love doing hair.” What she does for fun: Goes shopping for sneakers.
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Jackeline Cano '10
 Graduating this year from: Blackstone Academy. Favorite subject: Science. “I like to make things.” Last thing she made: A Rube Goldberg contraption for feeding goldfish. Senior project: Cross-cultural study of special-needs education, based on research she did at an orphanage in Jaipur, India. Recent accomplishment: Traveling to India on her own as a volunteer with ShakeHands. Recent challenge: “Balancing being captain of the swim team with keeping my grades up.” Her stroke: Freestyle sprint. Favorite Crusade program: Bridge to Success at Roger Williams University. She went twice. “It was really fun meeting new people and staying over on campus. It made me feel more like an adult.” Plans to attend: Clark University, Quinnipiac University, or Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Advice for Crusaders entering high school: "Work hard, do a lot of activities, stay balanced, give it your all and more.” What she looks for in a friend: Trust. “Someone who accepts me for myself and gets my sarcastic jokes.” Someone who cares about things. Biggest unknown about college: “The whole thing! I’m not sure what’s ahead of me. It’s all new.” Serious dream job: Orthodontist. “I love teeth.” Fantasy dream job: Dolphin trainer. What she does for fun: Playing drums in a band with friends. Swimming, soccer, bike riding, going to the beach. Not to mention: Zip lining in Guatemala.
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Juliana Beltran '10
 Graduating this year from: Central Falls High School. Favorite subject: Science, especially biology and anatomy. “I want to be a doctor.” A recent treat: Visiting Miriam Hospital to watch open-heart surgery. “We were up above and could see right down into what they were doing.” Also enjoyed: We the People, a special class at her school where students competed in demonstrating knowledge of the U.S. Constitution. Recent accomplishment: “I raised my grades in physics and statistics.” How she did it: By working hard. Recent challenge: “Pulling my senior portfolio together to show my proficiency.” Favorite Crusade program: Crusade Summer Experience at Brown. “As part of it, they had us present to a large group, which was good practice.” About my Crusade Advisor: “She is always asking us how we are and what we think about college. She reminds us about everything we need to do. It helps a lot.” Advice for Crusaders going into high school: “Keep your grades up and don’t procrastinate because everything accumulates toward the end of senior year.” College plans: Community College of Rhode Island for two years, then transfer to a four-year college. Biggest unknown about college: How many essays she’ll have to write. Currently writing: A comparison of Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” with Voltaire’s “Candide.” Dream job: Pediatrician. What she looks for in a friend: “Someone I can trust, someone who listens.” What she does for fun: Running track and cross-county, reading.
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