JTHS Class of 2020 Spotlight: Emily Gloria Villafuerte

Joliet West High School congratulates Emily Gloria Villafuerte, Class of 2020, for her recent graduation and for epitomizing the JTHS Character Attributes of Responsibility and Compassion.

In addition to being responsible for her high school coursework and caring about others, Emily dedicated countless hours to her school community through her participation in the art club, where she learned how to express herself and promote individuality and uniqueness through creative ideas within her artwork. Emily’s admirable level of responsibility was recognized when she received a USF Franciscan Leadership Award.

Reflecting on her many positive experiences, Emily said, “One positive memory I have from high school is participating in Powderpuff my senior year. It was a very fun and exciting experience getting to know all the girls and working together during practices. In the end we won, and all the hard work we put in together as a team paid off.”

Emily also shared, “Mrs. Spradau was one of the best math teachers I've ever had. She was amazing at teaching statistics and always made sure everyone got the help they needed. Her outgoing character was always very comforting and made her easy to talk to. She made class fun and interesting. But most importantly, she taught me one thing that I will always remember. You can get through any difficult task in life with a positive attitude and an open mind.”

For her plans after high school, Emily will attend the University of St. Francis. She will major in biology with a concentration in pre-optometry. Emily plans to earn my bachelor’s degree and then enter an optometry program where she would finish up her studies and then pursue a career as an optometrist.

When asked what advice she would offer to incoming freshman, Emily said, “For incoming freshman, high school is not as bad as you may think it is. It's something new so you're not going to be used to it right away so keep a positive mindset. Give yourself time to adjust, make new friends, join clubs/sports, challenge yourself, attend school events, take exciting classes. Make the most of your high school years because those will become stories you'll talk about in the future and memories that you will hold with you forever.”