People Profile: RHS Senior Named One of Illinois’ Best and Brightest

Like most of the individuals featured in People Profiles, Aron Nava is one busy guy. But, unlike most people Patch has profiled, Aron is still in high school. The senior is one of only 135 students from throughout the state to be named a 2012 Golden Apple Scholar.

The Golden Apple Scholars program seeks to identify the best and brightest young people in Illinois who plan a career in teaching.  

Nava is not only the captain of both the cross country and wrestling teams, but he also runs track for RHS. According to Nava, being an athlete has helped him to grow as a person and has taught him the meaning of responsibility and determination.

In addition to sports, Nava participates in Student Leadership Club, the RHS Best Buddies program, peer mediation, peer tutoring, S.A.D.D. (Students Against Destructive Decisions) and NHS (National Honor Society). As if that weren’t enough, he somehow finds time to serve as the president of Orange Crush, the school’s cheer section, and work part time.

As a Golden Apple Scholar, Nava will receive a $2,500 scholarship for his first two years of college and $5,000 for each of his last two years in college. He will be honored at a special reception at DePaul University in May.

Nava took time out of his busy schedule to share with Patch some of his high school experiences, as well as his hopes and dreams. After reading his profile, we know that like Patch, you’ll agree this articulate, thoughtful young man has a great future in store and will leave quite a mark on society.      

Patch: What do you enjoy most about your involvement with the Student Leadership Club and RHS Best Buddies program?

Aron Nava: What I enjoy most about the two clubs is how much they both impacted my life. I got into Student Leadership and Best Buddies my sophomore year, and throughout the three years I have been involved in them, I have matured so much and gained so much more self-confidence. The thing I like the most is how no one is worried about being themselves, which makes both clubs a lot easier to have fun in, and it allows more people to participate. 

Patch: What is your role in these programs?

Nava: My role in Leadership is to act as a role model for my school and assist any underclassmen that have questions and help students who want to learn how to get involved. I have to do 15 service hours per semester, along with participate in events like St. Baldrick’s (a foundation that raises funds to fight childhood cancers) and homecoming week. In Best Buddies, I am the vice president, and pretty much I just make sure everyone is on task doing their job, and that our group is happy and running smooth. Most of the time, my job is to throw new ideas out and see what we can do with them.

Patch: How do you manage to keep up your grades while participating in so many activities?

Nava: As far as time management goes, since I’ve been involved in all these activities for so long, it’s almost just like second nature. I know what I have to do each day and try to put 110 percent into it. Yes, it does get hard, but when you know it will only pay off in the long run, it becomes much easier.

 Patch: You must be a very hard worker. To what or whom do you attribute your strong work ethic?

Nava: My work ethic definitely is from my mom, Carrie Palmiter. She had me when she was only 16 years old, and to this day I will always be thankful for the way she has raised me. She showed me that if you want something, then you’re the one who has to achieve it. If my mom can raise a kid by herself (since my parents are split up), I know that I could do anything, as well. Most of the things I do now are for my mom, because she worked hard to provide for me and to make sure I had a home and to make sure I had nice clothes and could be just like every other kid … then I can push myself and get good grades and do good in sports and stay out of trouble for her. Many kids grow up with a set of parents, both a mom and a dad. I eventually had a step-father, but even with that, it’s still a lot harder than the average kid. But my mom made sure I stayed on track, and I thank her for that because without her motivation, I truly don’t know where I would be.

Patch: The Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois is a highly competitive program. How did you feel when you learned you were an award recipient?

Nava: I felt as pumped as can be when I ripped open the letter; seriously, I ripped it apart. I started screaming because I found out I had won. I called just about every family member. Even right now, it’s been about a week later and I am still in shock.

Patch: What are your college plans?

Nava: I plan to go to Aurora University, where I will be running cross country and track and majoring in special education.

Patch: In order to be named a Golden Apple Scholar, you must be interested in pursuing a career in teaching. What kind of teacher would you like to be, and why?  

Nava: I want to teach special education, the reason being is Best Buddies, the club I am vice president of. It helps create one-to-one friendships with kids with disabilities, and my buddy, a special needs student who has Down syndrome, showed me anything is possible when you put your mind to it. And kids like him deserve good teachers. Special education also deals with kids with behavior needs too, which I aide for a class that is like that, and for me, yeah, sometimes a student may not cooperate every now and then, but I understand. Not many students want to be in school, let alone a kid in a special needs class who tries hard every day and just can’t understand what is going on because he can’t remember something or has too much going on. It’s hard for those students, and they deserve someone who actually cares about them, and since I have gone through times when I wanted to give up, I know what they’re going through.

Patch: Is there a particular teacher or coach who has inspired you? How has that teacher or coach affected you and your goals?

Nava: Coach Dellamorte, my cross country coach, was pretty much like everything to me. When I had problems at home, I could go and talk to him; if I needed help in school, he would stay after practice to help me; if I felt like I wasn’t working hard enough at practice, I would tell him to make sure to keep pushing me. This guy is one of the best teachers in RHS, as said by many fellow classmates along with myself, and he’s one of the best younger coaches, too. He realizes that you can’t single one person out; you have to focus on everyone all the time and make sure everyone is getting better in both school and sports, because yeah, you can have one standout student or one standout athlete, but when you can have a bunch of top students and athletes, that’s when you start to make changes and that’s why he has inspired me. He showed me that by being a teacher, you can impact so many lives and help students pursue their goals in life, especially at times when they need your help to push them. He isn’t one of those teachers that just show up and lecture you every day; he makes sure you’re on task and doing what needs to be done and helps you any way you need it.

Patch: Given your success with sports, it seems natural that you might want to coach someday.

Nava: Yes, I plan on coaching both cross country and track once I get out of college.

Patch: Is there anyone in your life who might be described as your hero? If so, tell us something about the impact that person has had on you.

Nava: My aunt, Crystal Nava, has to be the hardest worker I have ever known. She has three children ages 8, 7 and 18 months old, and she is only 25. Although she has so many children at such a young age, she still manages to work and provide for all of them. Both the 8- and 7-year-old make the honor roll for their classes and excel in reading. Plus, they are all in sports and are starters for their teams. She also still managed to keep a relationship with the father. She is also a mentor for me, because although I’m involved in many activities at my school helping out fellow peers, I have my own problems at home just like everyone else. And she is the one who has always been there for me no matter what; she has never taken sides on my mom or my dad, but always stayed neutral in arguments. She taught me that although life may bring you sticky situations, you can always pull out of them and try to make it the best you can. This is why she is my hero. She seriously helped me in every way possible, and I attribute much of my success to her.

Patch: What have you enjoyed most about your four years at RHS?

Nava: Throughout my four years, I have loved how everyone seems to get along. The friends I made in high school have pretty much always been there for me. It seems like my class as a whole knows that there’s a future ahead of them and all try hard in school and, for the most part, everyone stays out of trouble. I can say that RHS has gotten me ready for my next chapter in life, and all I can do is thank my teachers and coaches for that.

Patch: As a graduating senior, what advice would you offer to incoming freshmen?

Nava: My advice for incoming freshmen is to just get involved and don’t be shy. It makes high school go by a lot faster and is an easy way to make friends.

Patch: What are you most looking forward to as you anticipate college?

Nava: As for college, I am just looking forward to being on my own. I’m not sure if I am ready for the real world right now, but I have prepared as much as I can for it. I’m just ready to discover what life is all about and try to find my meaning in it.