With this year of school coming to an end, seniors are leaving for college if they choose to go. At Athens, teachers nominate seniors whom they think stand out among their peers and truly show what a star student looks like. This year, ESL teacher Janet MacDonald nominated Derike Gomez as one of these star students.
“He (Gomez) is such a responsible young man. He takes care of other people, he works a job after school, he is in a professional soccer league and travels all over the state and gets paid to play soccer even though he’s only in High School,” said MacDonald.
Throughout his years in high school, Gomez has had to learn English as a second language, and has worked diligently to improve not just himself, but his peers around him.
“He is a very hard worker. He’s very kind and considerate, always kind of looking behind him and making sure he’s helping someone,” said MacDonald.
Having to learn a completely new language in an already new environment can be overwhelming and very discouraging. Gomez worked hard to make sure that doesn’t stop him from achieving his goals and meeting the high standards he set for himself.
“I was able to make a lot of friends during these four years, and it was just an overall good experience. I was able to get close to a lot of people and meet a lot of teachers, which I would definitely recommend,” said Gomez.
Gomez has always tried his best to help his peers in need and is always willing to put out a helping hand. Throughout his years in high school, he has not been without his own challenges.
“I had to learn a lot of new people and you know, had to learn English, like a whole new language, which is not easy,” said Gomez.
Despite these hardships, Gomez was still able to maintain his grades and stay thriving both in and outside of school. He believes that anyone is able to do well in school when they are willing to put in the effort. He is aware that nothing good can come too easily and gave some words of advice to upcoming high school students.
“Solve your problems as they come up; you don’t want to get behind. Just be a good student, talk to your teacher, and just be confident in yourself because I believe that everyone is able to be a good student and a good person,” said Gomez.
