Hispanic Heritage Student Leaders

2022 Latinx Student Honorees

The School Board is proud to recognize the 2022 Latinx high school students chosen by their principals for their character, leadership and outstanding successes in school and life. The recognition will take place on Thu, Oct. 13 at the 7 p.m. School Board meeting and include school-based Latino leaders.

Eliza Arevalo – Arlington Career Center

Yessenia Elizabeth “Eliza” Arevalo is Arlington Career Center’s Hispanic Heritage Month Student Leader. Eliza exemplifies all the best qualities of leadership as a servant leader who gives of herself in service to others. She arrived in the US from El Salvador three years ago and was reunited with her parents after 13 years. She is highly respected and trusted by her peers in the English Learner Institute for her deep care for the ACC community especially during difficult times. Students rely on her for guidance and support when they are struggling with life’s problems. Last school year, when news of the Texas school shooting was affecting so many students at our school, Eliza organized a prayer time at the school that provided comfort and peace to students and staff. This year, Eliza will lead a Spiritual Youth Group for students at ACC as a way to provide healing and comfort to students. She proudly serves as a second year JROTC cadet and has persevered in the class despite her quiet nature. Eliza, you inspire and motivate us all to persevere by your outstanding and humble leadership.

Kamila Chávez – Langston

Langston Continuation Program is delighted to have Kamila Chávez as our Hispanic student of the month. She entered our program last year, after having completed virtual learning. Many students had a difficult time reacclimating to the rigors of in-person learning, but not Ms. Chávez. She jumped in feet first, proving to all of her teachers that despite barriers in her life, she will persevere! What’s more is that Kamila remains humble and compassionate. In my English class, I’ve witnessed her assisting students with their class work, sometimes speaking in Spanish to be sure the student understood the assignment. She is special to our school and represents us well. A hearty congratulations to Kamila Chávez for representing the Langston Lions!

Noé Giron García – H-B Woodlawn

Noe is an exemplary member of our adult English Learner program and the HBW school community. Noé started at HBW three years ago after arriving in the United States from his home country of Guatemala. From his very first days at our school, even though he spoke almost no English, Noé became an integral part of our school community. He is a reliable student, a dependable friend, and a model young adult. Noé’s dedication to learning English is surpassed only by his dedication to his family, his church, and his future here in the United States. In the middle of his first year at HBW, schools closed for the pandemic and classes moved online. Despite the intense challenges facing all of us in the spring and fall of 2020, Noé’s dedication to school did not waiver – he never missed class and was always an active participant, even in a virtual setting. Noé will graduate this spring and hopes to continue his education for an eventual career in a technical field.

Matthew Hatfield – Shriver Program

Matthew is a hard-working student who cares for peers, faculty and staff at the Shriver Program. After completing his daily classroom routines in the morning, Matthew independently transitions to the Shriver office where he completes morning jobs. His jobs include but are not limited to collecting the H-B Woodlawn office mail, delivering newsletters to Shriver classrooms, opening the vocational room, and opening the Shriver gymnasium for Adaptive PE classes. Last spring, Matthew was a participant on the Shriver Basketball team. During basketball season Matthew developed his skills passing and sharing the ball with his teammates, playing defense, and dribbling. Staff were inspired by his discipline in working with his teammates, coaches, and the opposing players. Matthew also served as the “DJ” last spring for the Shriver Talent Show where he introduced participants with clarity and confidence.  Whether it’s learning to prepare a meal in home living, answering “wh” reading questions, or counting coins in math, Matthew is committed to taking risks across the curriculum.

Jeferson Isaac Nuñez Jimenez – Yorktown High School

Jeferson is remarkably mature, kind, considerate and hard working. He is a great student at Yorktown! In addition to his academic achievements, he has taught himself Portuguese and started learning French. When there was a gap in his schedule, he took Geography for no credit, just to solidify his knowledge. He had stronger English than the first time he took the course and helped the other students. Congratulations to this exceptional Yorktown Patriot!

Miguel Angel Ortez – Wakefield

Wakefield High School selected Miguel Angel Ortez as the honoree for Hispanic Heritage Month because he stands out among his peers. Miguel Angel is President of the Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) and is involved in the Stem Club and Asian Club. He is resilient and determined, always willing to work hard, take Advanced Placement courses and earn good grades, despite personal challenges. He also volunteers to help his classmates in math and physics, stating “I enjoy helping others because people helped me when I first arrived in the country from El Salvador”. Miguel Angel is looking forward to participating in the Future Doctor Society and is inspired to find ways to help the community.

Romane Terceros – Arlington Community High School

Romane Terceros is a strong student, an energetic force, and leader in Arlington Community High School. She came to Arlington from Bolivia, arriving on her own and living with extended family, while supporting herself. She is a senior and is planning on attending college when she graduates this June. She wants to study to be an architect, engineer, or automotive technician and is starting to explore these fields, including taking Career Center classes. She is currently a barista at Starbucks and is hoping for a promotion by the end of the calendar year to a management position. She is an enthusiastic student in all her classes and is a role model for her positive attitude and diligence. She is interested in many areas including photography, cosmetology, and fashion design. She has big dreams and will no doubt forge a path to reach them. She believes that “Your age or where you come from doesn’t stop you from becoming what you want to be.” And she ‘warns’: “Don’t close your eyes everyone, I’m going to be someone big!”

Fabrizio Rodríguez-Veliz – Washington-Liberty High School

Fabrizio is a strong 11th grade scholar who arrived in the United States from Perú in July 2021. He has worked very hard to achieve academic excellence while acquiring English and working in the service industry after school. His teachers state that he goes above and beyond to seek learning opportunities, while sharing what he knows with others. During his free time at school, he is often observed helping others with their classwork or English language skills. Fabrizio takes every assigned task and turns it into a challenge for himself while raising the bar for others. He extends his learning beyond the classroom, as a member of the Latin American Students Association (LASA) after-school club.

More Student Leader photos and bios will be added as they become available