Athens Drive is a large and diverse school with an abundance of skilled and talented students. As of the 2021-2022 school year, the school had over 2,000 students enrolled. In a crowd of many talented students, it’s easy for some students to not get the recognition they deserve. This is something teachers and students alike want to help solve. Morgan DeYoung, an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher, highlights an especially outstanding student, Jody Lopez Herrera.
“He is a pleasure to have taught because of his work ethic and willingness to learn and grow,” said DeYoung.
Jordy is a junior at Athens Drive and is from Guatemala. He’s lived in the U.S. since Aug. 2020 and moved mainly for better job opportunities.
“[Going to the U.S. was] both good in the sense that I met other types of people and culture and made new friends, and bad because I left my family and friends there [in Guatemala],” said Lopez Herrera.
When moving to a new country, there are many difficulties that migrants can face. The most evident is the language barrier, but there are also cultural differences that migrants may have to adapt to. Despite this, DeYoung describes Lopez Herrera as “a very helpful and cheerful student.”
Since moving to the U.S., Lopez Herrera has made new friends and also helps out at his family’s company, Lacho Plumbing Services. He does “small things” like running water pressure lines or collecting trash.
“I help them with some things in the afternoons or mostly on weekends,” said Lopez Herrera.
Most students could agree that upholding a job and going through high school at the same time is relatively difficult. Yet, Lopez Herrera has gone through it while still maintaining a good academic standing and is described as a great student.
“He shows students through his actions that he can be a positive role model in the community as well [as the school],” said DeYoung.
Looking towards the future, Jordy wants to continue learning more English and get into Wake Tech, where he plans to study plumbing and continue with his family’s company, or start his own business.
“I cannot speak more highly of Jordy, he has overcome many barriers, including language barriers to become the amazing student and worker that he is today,” said DeYoung.
