Parents: Adan and Ann Ortiz
Previous schools attended: Lopez-Riggins Elementary School and Los Cuates Middle School
College: Baylor University or Texas State University
Major: Biochemistry
Future plans: Physician
School activities: Jazz Band, Marching Band, Concert Band, Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), National Honor Society
Class rank: Top 5 Percent
Inspiration for academic success: A huge inspiration for my academic achievements is my older sister Whitney (2015 LFHS graduate). She would push and inspire me to work harder. She was always at the top of her class; she was ranked fifth in her class her senior year. She set a bar that I was determined to beat. Every year, I would push myself further and further in order to try to beat my sister. Yes, I know it is a bit stereotypical for inspiration to be based on a sibling rivalry, but that is not the only reason my sister inspires me. My sister is one of the smartest, inspiring, and caring people that I know. I definitely would not be where I am without her.
Life challenges: One of the challenges that I have had to overcome is balancing my academic life with my home life. Keeping myself in high academic standing while staying happy and motivated can be extremely tough. I used to stress over work and classes to an almost unhealthy degree. One way I have learned to separate school and home is by getting my work done either during class or in shifts at night. I would spend about 30 minutes of work then have about 15 minutes of “me” time. This is the best method for me. It has really improved my performance academically.
Importance of participation: My favorite activity in school is Band. I love playing music. The culture surrounding the band is amazing. There is little to no hate in the band and the best part are the directors. They are extremely helpful and supportive. The last thing I want to do is talk about COVID-19 but both the directors and my peers have set up systems for support during this time; through their teaching, they showed us how to support and care for each other. They have taught both others and me how to be supportive and caring. The best part is that every single year, the band has been becoming more and more supportive. My directors have been some of the most influential people in my life.
Balance of academics and school activities: One way to cope with a load of my school activities and academics is by taking shifts. Taking those shifts have allowed me to have so much more extra time than I would normally have. After 30 minutes of work, I spend 10-15 minutes relaxing. (This relaxation time really helps keep me motivated.) Then I continue to work in shifts. If I know I have a light workload that day, I usually just complete it all at once. This way of doing work has helped me succeed in my academics while staying both motivated and stress-free.
Career goals: My goal is to become a physician. Specifically, I want to be a geriatrician who treats the elderly. I would like to work with the elderly is because, not only are they usually part of a neglected group of patients, they need a lot of care. Any little fall or slip can have fatal consequences. Their treatment needs to be both precise and comforting. Not only do I believe that I can achieve said treatment needs, I believe that I will excel at those needs. My entire life I have cared for the elderly, from my grandmother to strangers in the hospital while I was volunteering. I have excelled at caring for the elderly that I have been helping.