Senior Spotlight: Erick & Nasya
Meet two exemplary students from Midtown Center for boys and Metro Achievement Center for girls. We are shining a light on these students who are dedicated, hard-working, and have a bright future ahead.
Erick Gonzalez
Whitney Young senior and future MIT student Erick Gonzalez has been a part of the Midtown family since 4th grade. He has participated in all three programs (the Walgreens One-on-One for 4th-6th grade students, the Midtown Achievement Program for 7th & 8th graders, and the College Orientation Program for high schoolers), and has developed great friendships with many of the center's staff and alumni. Erick feels there is a sense of brotherhood between all the Midtown students, alums, and staff and enjoyed that they all supported each other. "All my advisors were cool! The summer program coaches, who were Midtown seniors, were really motivational." The Gonzalez family is grateful for the help of College Orientation Program Director, Gabriel Avalos, for his support during Erick’s college application process.
Erick looks back fondly on his participation in the high school summer engineering apprenticeship. "My favorite memory would have to be the field trips I took during my summer in the engineering apprenticeship. They really showed me what it's like to work in the different fields of engineering." Erick also participated in the business and computer science apprenticeship, which has helped him become a jack of all trades. "During my time in those programs, I learned what I like and what I don't like."
Erick's favorite virtue is persistence, which he believes is a virtue that can be applied in many situations. "It's one that has stuck with me and helped me get to where I am today." Perseverance has helped Erick continue to strive for success during the quarantine. "I have to attend classes online, take online AP tests, study, and do projects to keep my grades up." Erick plans to use this virtue as he continues his academic career in Massachusetts on a full-ride scholarship. He plans to major in aerospace engineering.
Nasya Danso
Nasya Danso is a long-time Metro student who enrolled in the Walgreens One-on-One program and continued to participate in the programs through twelfth grade. When first attending the program, she was a shy 6th grader who did not know how to make new friends, but now has many friends who have also participated in Metro.
With the support of her family and mentors at Metro, Naysa will be attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is excited and, of course, nervous about attending such a large university but says that she will keep the character lesson of dignity close to her heart on this new adventure. "I feel that in college, students easily get discouraged, and they can feel too small in a large college. [The lesson of] dignity is supposed to help you remember that everyone is the same. Every single person has dignity, and no person is better than another. No matter what."
Nasya (pictured in the right) and a fellow Metro student in the summer of 2016
This will not be Nasya's first time away from home. With the help of the Metro center assistant, Ms. Cremers, Nasya attended a month-long sleepaway camp the summer before 8th grade. "I got to experience many new things that I would not experience if I were just in Chicago. I got to ride horses, and that was my favorite part about camp."
Nasya is excited to attend U of I with the intent of pursuing a career in medicine. She will major in interdisciplinary health science so she may become a neonatologist. As the first in her family to attend college, she will continue to rely on the support of her friends, family, and mentors at Metro to guide her along the way.