Nellie A. Thornton High School Salutatorian: Stay Focused

MOUNT VERNON, NY — This year's valedictorians and salutatorians in the Mount Vernon school district are an extraordinary group of young people. Patch asked them to answer a few questions about their high school experience and what they look forward to in the future.

Today, meet Jeanette Illescas, Salutatorian at Nellie A. Thornton High School.

Question: What will you miss most about high school?

Answer: One thing I will miss the most about high school is the familiar, friendly environment. The teachers at Thornton are all friendly and are always there for you if you need help. I have been with the same people since my freshman year, so I am used to being around them.

Q: What are you looking forward to in moving on to college?

A: I am looking forward to being one step closer to achieving my dream of becoming a veterinarian. I will get to know what my real comfort zone is and be able to get out of it.

Q: What was your favorite high school class?

A: My favorite high school class has been pre-calculus. For some, there is nothing more boring or confusing than memorizing formulas just to find the value of a variable, but to me, there is nothing more pleasing than being able to solve a challenging problem with ease. Even if I struggle at first, it is the most satisfying moment when I am able to understand.

Q: What clubs or extracurriculars were you involved in?

A: Throughout my high school years, I have been part of many clubs. I now hold an office position in most of these clubs, too. I am the president of my schools activist club and the language honor society. I am the secretary of explorers club. I am also a part of my schools performing arts club, math team, and anime club. For extracurricular activities, I have been doing community service consistently since 9th grade. I was also part of Mount Vernon’s Female Varsity Soccer team.

Q: What advice would you give to underclassmen?

A: My advice to underclassmen is to stay focused. You might hear people say that senior year is the year to have fun and relax, but it is not. You need to take senior year as seriously, if not more seriously, than other years. The single bit that you slack off can throw you off completely. It is important to stay focused no matter what. For senior year, the guidance counselors are your best friends. They are there to help and give you advice if you need help with anything regarding college, future career plans, and other options. You are never alone and there is always someone there for you when you need help.

Q: Any teachers/staff who stood out throughout your journey?

A: There are two teachers that stood out to me the most. One teacher is my 10th grade math teacher, Ms. Lora. If it weren’t for Ms. Lora, I would not have the passion for math that I have now. She believed in me when I did not even believe in myself. She helped me raise my grade to the point where I had the highest average in the class: 103. Another teacher was my 11th grade English teacher Mr. Lanzetta. His passion for English and for teaching made him an amazing teacher. Anyone who has had him as a teacher can agree that he put his heart into teaching.

Q: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

A: In ten years, I would be a college graduate for two years already. I will be working as a veterinarian in New York specializing in feline/canine and avian practices. I will hopefully have my own clinic.

Q: Tell us a fun fact about you.

A: One thing about me is that I can learn choreographies in a short period of time. Being Hispanic, I grew up dancing to different genres of music with my parents. I thought about being a dancer once when I was little, but I was more amazed with animals. I love making my own choreographies. I have made many through the performing arts club for different school occasions. We have performed for food festivals and for elementary school assemblies.

Photo courtesy Mount Vernon school district