Cigarroa Student Harvard Bound
Written by Post Public Information Representative, Apr 9, 2010, 0 Comments
Courtesy Roberto Treviño,
Rogelio Gonzalez, a junior at Dr. Leo G. Cigarroa High School, will be living his dream this coming summer. Gonzalez is among 1,000 students worldwide who was recently accepted as a residential student to Harvard’s prestigious Secondary School Program (SSP) in Cambridge, Massachusetts on the Harvard University campus.
Gonzalez, who will be at Harvard throughout the summer, will be enrolled at Harvard earning college credit and meeting students from over 100 countries.
“It has been my lifelong ambition to attend Harvard University. With the acceptance to this program, it gives potency to my dream.” said Gonzalez. “I can’t wait to meet such a diverse group of people from other countries.
While on the Harvard campus, much of his experience will be that of a typical Harvard College freshman. He will experience the excitement of arriving and checking in, as well as, meeting his proctor and roommates. He will eat at Annenberg Commons, where freshman eat their meals, and live in Union dormitory, where Harvard freshman live. Most importantly, Gonzalez will be absorbing two four-credit classes with lessons in government and expository writing, introduction to political philosophy and social and ethical issues.
When asked what he hoped to gain from this once in a lifetime opportunity, Gonzalez replied “From these courses, I will gain skills that I could apply towards the law degree I am striving for in my near future. Also, I plan to explore the libraries and museums in Boston and New York and the Charles River. I can’t wait to take it all in.”
According to Gonzalez he was encouraged by his accounting teacher to look into a summer program. “Ms. Diana Cantu is the one that pushed me to research what programs were available this summer. Her encouragement was a blessing in disguise. Now I get to attend Harvard University and see my dream become a reality.”
Gonzalez and his family have held various fundraisers including garage sales, raffles, and car washes to help defer the cost to attend the Harvard Secondary School Program. All expenses including tuition, room and board, health insurance, and transportation cost to and from Harvard must be paid by the student.
