While school is buzzing with seniors who are counting down to graduation, one student is moving at full throttle for a special reason. Senior Rico Martinez isn’t only preparing for the typical graduation ceremony, but he’s speeding through his education to leap into the biomedical engineering field as quickly as possible. As a result, Martinez will graduate early at semester.
“I’ve always been passionate about helping people,” Martinez said. “The idea of creating prosthetics for people with disabilities and designing cutting edge medical equipment just feels liks the perfect fit for me.”
While most seniors juggle AP classes, sports, and their time with friends, Martinez has chosen a different path. By enrolling in extra classes, mastering his AP subjects, and dedicating countless hours into studying, he’s made early graduation an achievement that few students manage to accomplish.
“It’s definitely a lot of work, no doubt,” he said. “I spend all of my time constantly studying after school, whether it’s SAT prep or making sure that my AP class grades are strong. It’s super exhausting, but I’m sure that it will all be worth it in the end. Work hard today, succeed tomorrow.”
His passon doesn’t stop in the classroom. Martinez is already exploring college programs and internships that will fast track his career.”I’m super eager to start”, he said. “I’ve always wanted to experience college, but what excites me even more is getting to work. The earlier I can help to improve people’s lives, the better.”
Even though it may seem tough to balance the stress of school, college preparation, and early graduation, he claims that it hasn’t been too hard. “Honestly, the toughest part is keeping on top of my AP classes, but I’ve been handling it pretty well so far,” he said.
With graduation just around the corner, Martinez is excited to embrace the next chapter of his life. “I understand that my high school experience isn’t the typical high school path, but I’m incredibly prepared and excited to make these sacrifices now to secure a future that both benefits myself and the people that I aspire to support and change lives.”
