Marissa Castillo

¡Hola! I am the second oldest out of five children. Having a big family means having a strong support system. Being one of the oldest means that I have to be an exemplar student and show my younger sisters the importance of education. I believe that education should not be taken for granted.

NHS selected me to take part in a group of students who not only aim for academic excellence, but also give back to their community by doing community service. Not only are you suppose to have a 3.5 GPA or higher, but must also be responsible and dedicated.

Being the daughter of two Mexican parents means visiting Mexico at least once a year. Both of my parents are from San Luis Potosi, but from different towns. The towns are about 10 minutes apart from each other which makes visiting both of them easy.

Starting in a new school can be difficult especially when you will be attending it for seven years. In Wizard Camp, we make sure the incoming sixth graders feel safe, comfortable and learn the Yes Prep Southeast culture.

Going to CCE classes made me closer to my faith. Religion is an important part of my life and these classes taught me more about Catholicism. Also, these classes prepared me to make one of the seven sacraments, the confirmation.

I have always admired Our Lady of Guadalupe. It is said that the one who sings prays twice, but the one who dances prays three times. This dance is performed on the 12th of December which is the date Juan Diego proved to the archbishop that Our Lady of Guadalupe was real.

Being a teenager and high school student means having a busy and stressful life. Sometimes I need a break from living that life so what I use as an escape is a book. As cliché as this sounds, reading is an escape from reality because you get to use your own imagination and no one will judge you.