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"If you want to succeed, find those that are going to help you succeed."
What are your plans after high school?
AR: I am planning to go to Roger Williams University to major in Criminal Justice. After that, I will go to law school. Being at this school and around people, I realized I wanted to work with people. I did the dual enrollment program at CCRI and started taking criminology classes. I really enjoyed it. My father is a lawyer in the Dominican Republic and also works for the Air Force. So I had kind of a sense about that and I took a Brown PreCollege class on Introduction to Law. With an internship I did with PrepareRI, I got even more experience in the legal and criminal justice field.
EV: I'll be going to Johnson and Wales University, majoring in biology with pre-PA track. Then I will continue to become a physician's assistant. My first career path idea was nursing. About 10 years ago, my grandma had a heart attack which affected my family and we were in a panic. She ended up having open heart surgery and the way the nurses showed empathy and cared for my family impacted me a lot and made me want to give back to the community. My sophomore year, I did my CNA class and went on to do my clinicals at the hospital. I realized nursing wasn't for me with all the chaos. When I talked about it with one of my teachers, he suggested I look into PA school.
What was your college process like?
AR: My options were UPenn, RWU, and URI. URI was a really good option because I got almost free tuition. Roger Williams also gave me a 95% tuition scholarship -- ILA, Intercultural Leadership Ambassador Scholarship. They are the only law school in Rhode Island. UPenn was a great option, but it was far away from my family.
EV: My decision between Johnson and Wales and URI was tough. I was looking into what schools had the best major for me and a scholarship. Ultimately, I decided on JWU because of my interest in the medical field. They gave me three scholarships.
What are your extracurricular activities?
AR: I do a lot of community involvement at the school. I play volleyball and softball at JSEC.
EV: I play volleyball. I am also a religious teacher at Blessed Sacrament. I also help around the church as much as I can. We are also Student Ambassadors at 360. We help around the school and share our experience with incoming freshmen. We give them tours and talk about our experience.
Why did you choose 360 High School?
AR: It's close to home. I liked how it was a small school compared to others. It helped me feel more comfortable. I could meet people and stay close to them. The school was very welcoming, both the teachers and students.
EV: I was looking into Rhode Island Nursing Institute (RINI) at first, but I also got accepted at 360. One of my Roger Williams Middle School teachers connected me with a 360 teacher who let me tour the school. I really liked it, and the teachers are really close.
What lessons have you learned? Or lessons you would want to pass onto freshmen?
AR: Just to be friendly to everyone, because even if you have a bad experience with that person, you are going to learn from it. Don't be shy.
EV: Never hang around with the wrong crowd. When you hang around the wrong crowd, you tend to fall, and once you find the right people, or once you find yourself, that is when you grow. If you want to succeed, find those that are going to help you succeed.
Which staff member has made a big impact on you?
AR: My algebra teacher last year really helped me -- Omar Venavides. He created an environment that helped me to get used to a new school. We built a really good friendship. He taught Algebra II, Health, and Personal Finance.
EV: I would say the same. Omar. Ever since elementary school, I always struggled in math and he helped me a lot. Also, my English teacher, Brian Gold. Even though he is very strict, he always gets to the point and helps out as much as he can. He doesn't give us the answers. He pushes us to a limit where we understand it on our own. And he pushes us to be the best writers that we can so that when we get to college we are prepared to do college-level work.
Are you grateful to be a product of Providence Public Schools?
AR: I am grateful. We have a lot of opportunities to take advantage of, like the scholarship for the Brown PreCollege program and the dual enrollment program with CCRI. I was able to do all of these great programs because I was a PPSD student.
EV: The outcome of half of the PPSD high school students speaks for itself. With students going to these major colleges, it just shows how much the District teaches and cares for its students.
Are you excited to graduate and move on?
AR: I'm scared about all the new experiences that are coming. But I am also excited.
EV: I am also scared just because I have never been out by myself. In school, everything is there for you, and in college, you have to do everything on your own. I feel like I am going to be lonely. But I know I am not by myself. It will be a whole new environment.