She may not be the next Michelangelo, but “Student of the Year” Jennifer Gonzalez is one gifted lady, boasting a 4.0 GPA.
“I have zero artistic talent,” the Ann Sobrato High School senior laughed, while sharing a tale of a failed ceramics class.
At Tuesday’s Morgan Hill Unified Board of Education meeting, Gonzalez was praised for being named “Student of the Year” by the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce, which will officially recognize Gonzalez at the Jan. 26 Celebrate Morgan Hill Awards.
Though “artist” may not be on her list of talents, the 17-year-old who founded “Project Roadmap” – a group that helps prepare first generation college students – manages to keep busy.
“I volunteer some,” Gonzalez said modestly.
“Some” might be an understatement, as her list of services includes volunteering at the Chamber of Commerce, St. Louis Hospital, St. Catherine’s Church and several after-school study groups. Gonzalez is also an attorney for her school’s mock trial team and sits on the student court.
With a house full of nine family members cheering her on, Gonzalez said that she never had a problem studying.
“I don’t know any different,” she chuckled. “I’ve learned to manage all the chaos.”
She said that everyone in her family, especially her parents, is supportive of her academics.
“They taught me that anything you really want, you can achieve,” she said, proudly.
Armed with a stellar GPA, Gonzalez plans to study political science at college (UC Davis and Stanford University are her top choices), and has her sights set on being a lawyer.
As the first person in her family to attend college, Gonzalez is passionate about helping students who may be headed down the wrong path.
“I was going through the same things they are going through, but I took a different approach,” she explained.
For Gonzalez, the choice to succeed was very simple.
“From a young age I knew I wanted to make a difference and I wanted to make my community proud,” she said.
But in her typical humble fashion, Gonzalez was quick not to take all the credit.
“This award is not just mine, but for everyone who has supported me throughout this,” she said.
This year’s other Celebrate award winners are Cricket Rubino (Woman of the Year), Bob Snow (Man of the Year), Bonnie Tognazzini (Educator of the Year), Jennifer Gonzalez (Student of the Year), and Smart Products Inc. (Business of the Year).
Tickets and sponsorships for the Celebrate award ceremony are available through the Chamber’s website, www.morganhill.org, or by calling (408) 779-9444.
What: Dinner and awards ceremony honoring seven 2013 Chamber of Commerce Celebrate Awards Winners.
Where: Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center, 17000 Monterey Road.
When: 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26.
Tickets and information: Chamber’s website, www.morganhill.org
