Alondra Navarro, a 17-year-old senior at GECA (the Dr. TJ Owens Gilroy Early College Academy) is this week’s “Student of the Week.”
What inspires you?
In all honesty, I am inspired by my parents and everything that they have done in order to ensure that I wouldn’t have to face many of the same struggles that they did. Watching them work so hard in order to provide for our family has been my driving force to achieve success through education.
What is your favorite subject in school, and why?
Math has never been my strongest subject, but it has always challenged me to work harder and develop the study skills and habits that have helped me in many of my other classes. It has taught me that in order to succeed as a student I must be willing to dedicate plenty of time outside of the classroom and, most importantly, know when to ask for help.
If you had the power to change one thing in the world, what would it be?
If I could, I would make education more accessible to students all over the world while eliminating the education barriers that exist today. I believe that empowering our youth with education is empowering them with the knowledge that they need to solve the problems of today.
If you could go anywhere, where would you go?
I would love to travel all of South America and experience the beautiful and unique language and culture that it harbors. I feel that it would be an enriching experience that would open my eyes to new perspectives and points of view.
Name one big challenge in your life right now:
Learning how to balance all of my school work, extracurricular activities, college applications, and part-time job has been one of the biggest challenges that I have had to face this school year.
What is your dream job?
I have always wanted to pursue a career as a lawyer with an emphasis on constitutional law.
If you were stuck on a deserted island, what three things could you not live without?
I would need a good book, Jamba Juice, and my music.
Favorite book:
“A Lesson Before Dying” by Ernest Gaines.
What do you want to do after high school?
After high school I plan on going straight to a four-year university and double majoring in Spanish and Political Science. I would also like to study abroad for a year, preferably in a Latin American country, in order to experience a new sense of cultural awareness that can’t be learned from sitting in a classroom. Eventually, I would like to attend graduate school and obtain my J.D.
Students are chosen by their principals.
