Zaragoza named a Student of the Month at Sterling High School

Diego Zaragoza, a Sterling High School senior, has been chosen as an SHS Student of the Month for January.

His parents are Rodolfo Zaragoza and Cecilia Diaz Garcia, and he has a sister, Fatima Zaragoza.

What class do you find really engaging and why?: I found AP Chemistry, taught by Stephen Johnson, to be one of the most engaging classes I ever took. The various labs we did, the connection he built with me and my peers for us to become the best students we could be, and simply the atmosphere that my classmates created with him are some of the reasons why I enjoyed AP Chemistry.

What are your career and post-graduation plans? What school(s) or other instruction, travel or endeavors do you have planned?: Post-graduation, I plan on attending either the University of Illinois Chicago for civil engineering or University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for aerospace engineering, as both fields of engineering interest me.

What are your two favorite extracurricular, volunteer or community activities you participate in?: One of my favorite extracurriculars is Scholastic Bowl. During my four years of high school, it taught me various things, such as being a leader and the cohesiveness of teamwork, especially with the guidance of former coaches Mr. Rappé and Mr. O’Donnell and current coach Mrs. Schlemmer. Another extracurricular that I’m involved in and started my junior year is tennis. I’ve learned various things from picking up tennis as a new sport, whether it be how to play the sport itself or the people in it, too, who make the sport better to play. The motivation that both coaches Mike Gottemoller and Bob Orta give me also is a reason as to why I enjoy tennis.

Please share a moment, group event or activity at school that was meaningful or memorable.: One memorable moment that I’ll forever remember is that of being drum major. Simply standing in front of the crowd and your classmates and conducting them is an honor and very rewarding, in my point of view, as you are representing the band and the school.

What is your hope for the future?: I hope I accomplish my goals of becoming an engineer and work on major projects that impact the world in some way. I also hope on obtaining the necessary licensing to become a certified pilot, as that’s something that I’ve always been fond of.