Rose basketball highlights
For most high school students, finishing out their senior year with decent grades and looking forward to college, potential jobs and future plans is the main goal. However, senior Jorge Macedo-Villeda has much larger aspirations.
“I want to complete my bachelor’s by the time I am 19 and currently I have my associate of arts, but I'm also trying to obtain my engineering and science [degrees] before I graduate high school,” Macedo-Villeda said.
Macedo-Villeda transferred to Rose after his sophomore year coming from the Innovation Early College High School (IECHS). The IECHS is a school that allows young, gifted students from around the area to challenge themselves and ultimately graduate high school with their associate’s degree. After spending two years at the IECHS, Macedo-Villeda felt like a switch and increased extracurriculars were necessary for his growth.
Photo by Victoria Castillo
“I felt like they didn't have enough extracurriculars or people to help you do your work,” Macedo-Villeda said. “I wanted to transfer over when Elliott [Flinchbaugh] told me how there was stuff like Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) and other competitive events that you could actually do at Rose and I felt like that's what I wanted to do rather than just purely schoolwork at the early college.”
Macedo-Villeda has truly taken advantage of these extracurricular opportunities and is currently a member of FBLA and HOSA. Macedo-Villeda plans on joining even more clubs this year. Macedo-Villeda has been on the varsity soccer team for the past two years and is a member of about seven honors societies. Not only does he push himself and load himself with as many extracurricular opportunities but he also strives to take as many possible classes in order to reach his goal of receiving his bachelor’s by the time he is 19.
“I take nine total Advance Placement (AP) or Pitt Community College (PCC) classes this semester,” Macedo-Villeda said.
Some may question the point of taking so many classes, being involved with so many extracurricular activities and filling up all extra free time on homework. Well, ultimately, Macedo-Villeda wants to become a nuclear engineer and receive his doctorate.
“I want to do nuclear engineering when I go to college…I want to obtain my bachelor’s then go back for my master's and eventually get my PhD,” Macedo-Villeda said.
Joining the Marines and serving for the United States Of America for at least three years means the Marines will pay for Macedo-Villeda’s college and ultimately help him accomplish his dream of being a nuclear engineer.
“Right now I am planning on joining the marine reserves in the summer to pay for my college,” Jorge said. “Once I complete my bachelor’s of nuclear engineering I think I have to serve for three years for the Marines.”
Looking back as a senior in high school, Macedo-Villeda wishes he would have taken his time with things, lived in the moment and met more people.
“I would say just to try and interact with people, take less classes [and] to just enjoy the moment,” Jorge said.
