Jovany Casas '17 Recruiting Profile

“Siga estudiando, mijo, para que nos saque adelante!” My parents would always encourage me to stay focused in my education and keep moving forward. These powerful words are a source of energy and motivation for me to set high expectations for myself and to reach my goals. The hard working mentality of my parents has strongly influenced my brother and me to pursue greatness. My father has been working and providing for his family since he was fifteen years old. Images of him drenched in sweat with a shovel working in a sandy field with the heat scorching his back forces me to take advantage of the opportunities that he never had. His hands reveal struggle, strength and consistency; they tell stories of a man that has dedicated his life to providing for others.  His dedication has inspired me and has given me a different perspective on life and how I want to impact the world.

My father opened my eyes to visualize a different way of working and being successful. I understand the importance of working hard using my mind and academic skills instead of offering my body to unfavorable labor intensive jobs. Education has always been my greatest strength in order to have a successful future. I am the type of student that wants to master every objective in class and perform to my highest ability on assignments. I have maintained a good GPA in a rigorous college prep high school and have developed self-advocacy skills in the process. I set high standards for myself to be as successful as my father, but with a different tool kit. My father’s lessons are pertinent in my heart; they travel with me in everything I attempt.  Outside of the classroom, I play varsity soccer. I leave all I have onto the field at practices in order to transfer my ability to my games.  Hearing the way my father worked since he was a child instilled the values of work ethic, passion, and selflessness in the way I operate in life. I know that the energy I put into developing my mind and demonstrating my knowledge will open several doors of opportunity in the future.

By seeing the struggle and dedication expressed in my father's hands, I am encouraged to succeed in my education, career and supporting my family. I plan to be a first generation college student after graduating from high school and continue to “Siga estudiando, mijo, para que nos saque adelante”.  Engineering has always been a passion of mine, and engineering degree will fulfill not only my dreams, but also my father’s. I will be a role model to the students in Southwest Denver and to my family members who are younger than me.  I cannot wait to experience college and offer everything I am to my new community.  I hope to bring more awareness to architecture and math in Southwest Denver, and show the students that we do not always have to follow pre-paved paths of careers; we too, can be trailblazers.