Shooting for the Stars: Written by Cameron Dole
Not every 17-year-old student is fascinated by velocity, physics, and math that can relate to real-world opportunities, but then there's Luis Cervantes. This month's youth spotlight is not your average junior at Eagle Valley High School; Luis is a driven scholar with an outgoing personality and a social nature. Here at Mountain Youth, we're lucky enough to get to work with Luis! Serving as a Youth Apprentice through Careerwise, Luis is excelling in his self-imposed challenges of project management, communication, and leadership. Luis plans and puts on monthly 'Middle School Night' opportunities for local youth to socialize and experience something that is not easily attainable. Additionally, Luis works with the prosocial high school event team to plan fun, safe events that attract a broad youth audience. Because of his ideas & work, many students from the Eagle Valley have been exposed to new events, learning opportunities, and an increase in positive youth experiences.
Living in the valley his whole life, Luis cares for the land and people here. When he isn't busy studying, working, or relaxing, he can be found at Beaver Creek on his snowboard (with friends), at the Back-Bowls lanes or arcade (with friends), or playing soccer (with friends). He appreciates the open space that we have out here, not living 'super' close to neighbors, and experiencing fresh air throughout all four seasons. Besides being "not too sure about how cold it gets here," Luis loves the valley and shares life with his parents and two younger sisters. Luis attributes a good portion of his success to his parent's care stating that they've supported him all along. He is very grateful for their support and encouragement to be a better person.
Yes, Luis' favorite subjects really are physics and science. Pursuing a career in astronomy/astrophysics, he is an excelling student with many ideas for improvement and ways to benefit others. Calculating the velocity of a bowling ball going down the lane (19.2 m/s), Luis has a passion and drive for this field, and it can't be shrouded!
Future plans involve going to college studying this field more in-depth. Luis' high-ranking schools include The University of Texas at Austin, Rice University, and some schools in the University of California system. These schools have great astronomy programs and would set Luis up to work with NASA as a physicist or astronomer. His long-term dream is to go to the International Space System and research space and how vast yet fragile our universe is.
Luis Cervantes has a lot of involvement, all lucky to have him! With a great heart, hard work-ethic, and a friendly smile, he is an Eagle County youth that will succeed and continue making a difference in the lives of others. Any conversation with Luis is a great one - he is always open to giving and getting feedback. We are very grateful for this young man and excited to see his progress through high school and beyond!