Category: Academics

Bill De La Rosa Awarded Gates Millennium Scholarship

Bill De La Rosa (Left) with Brandon Sanchez at NHS Induction Ceremony

Bill de la Rosa, class of 2012 Senior, is one of 1,000 talented students nationwide to receive the Gates Millennium scholarship in 2012. The scholarship provides full funding through graduate school.

“I see this like a once in a life time opportunity, knowing that I will be secure financially for the next four to eight years of college,” says de la Rosa. “The generosity of Bill and Melinda Gates is a gift from God to me that I will benefit from and be responsible for. I know that God has great plans for me and I will make sure to prepare myself to serve others through the degrees I will receive from my education.”

De la Rosa’s notification letter stated that his “accomplishment is especially notable in context of the more than 24,000 students who applied, making this year’s the largest and most competitive group of candidates in the program’s history.”

De la Rosa has been accepted to Bowdoin College, a nationally renowned college of liberal arts and sciences in Maine. After earning his bachelor’s degree, he plans to attend Harvard Law School, with the goal of using his law degree to assist families unable pay for legal representation.

Since his freshman year, de la Rosa has been one of the top five students in his class. He is currently valedictorian, with a 4.12 GPA. He’s achieved his academic success in spite of family hardship, providing care for his father and siblings during his father’s illness.

Pueblo High counselor Teresa Toro says that de la Rosa “has made being smart a ‘cool’ status on our campus. He is very popular among his peers and is highly regarded by his teachers. He is constantly talking to students about the need for them to do their best and be their best.”

Toro states, “I am beyond proud for Bill and his accomplishments. He is a true example that no matter what life throws at you that you cannot make excuses for not succeeding. He has such high standards, walks the talk, and is still so down to earth and loved and respected by all of his peers and faculty. I have such high regard for him that I asked him to be the peer mentor for my son, who is a current freshman at Pueblo Magnet High School. He is truly deserving of this most generous award by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.”

To complete the circle of giving, De la Rosa’s goals include establishing his own foundation to provide scholarships to future students.

More information about the scholarship is available at gmsp.org.

Courtesy of www.tusd1.org.

Dr. Andrew Lettes Wins National Biotechnology Award

Dr. Mayim Bialik & Dr. Andrew Lettes

Pueblo Magnet High School science teacher Dr. Andrew Lettes received the Ron Mardigian Memorial Biotechnology Explorer Award, as part of the National Science Teachers Association (NTSA) 2012 Teacher Awards Program.

Lettes has brought biotechnology into the classroom for over ten of his eighteen years as a teacher. When TUSD’s Career and Technical Education Program decided to offer a bioscience curriculum, Lettes was one of the first teachers onboard. At the time, he was teaching an AP Biology class but only six students were enrolled. He wanted to go beyond traditional topics to get more students engaged in science, particularly those students who might not see themselves as “scientists.”

“I noticed that the students who were enthusiastic about heart dissections were even more enthusiastic about DNA fingerprinting,” Lettes recalls. “Biotechnology jobs are on the rise in Tucson and I want to prepare my students for those jobs; so I developed a Biotechnology curriculum.”

The Biotechnology Explorer Award recognizes teachers who have made biotechnology learning accessible to students and Lettes’ curriculum has done just that. Pueblo serves a predominantly low-income Hispanic population – a population that is typically underrepresented in science, engineering, and technology fields.

“This program opens up doors to careers in science that students didn’t realize had been closed to them,” Lettes noted. “Students that were not interested in upper level science classes before are now lining up to take Biotechnology.”

There are currently 105 students enrolled in the program with 140 interested in enrolling next year.

Dr. Lettes’ former students have gone on to pursue degrees in neuroscience, molecular biology, and science education. Students who have gone on to pursue degrees in other areas have said that Lettes’ class provided them with a strong foundation for their college science course requirements, and for the overall expectation of college studies.

As the recipient of the Biotechnology Explorer Award, Lettes received a $250 monetary gift, a $500 certificate for Bio-Rad products for his classroom, and a trip to attend the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in Indianapolis last month. Interesting tidbit: While at the conference, Lettes had the opportunity, among other things, to meet and talk science with television actress Mayim Bialik of The Big Bang Theory, who holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience both on TV and in real life. Bialik and Lettes both received their doctorates from UCLA.

For more information on Career and Technical Education Programs offered in TUSD, visit the Career and Technical Education Program Web site.

Courtesy of TUSD1.org

2012 FBLA Regional Winners

Pueblo FBLA Team 2012

FBLA sponsor Maria Bicknell reports that at the 2012 Future Business Leaders of America Regional Conference, Pueblo students came home with gold, silver, and bronze medals!

Ludwig Nunez & Andrea Bakos Receiving Medals

Ludwing Nunez: 1st place in Management Information Systems
Andrea Bakos: 2nd place in Management Information Systems

Carlos Meraz Receiving Medal

Carlos Meraz: 3rd place in Job Interview

Great job, Warriors!

Pueblo Biotech Featured On NSTA

Pueblo’s Biotechnology Program was featured on National Science Teacher Association’s website.

Here’s the excerpt:

Another awardee also has introduced innovations to the classroom. Andrew Lettes, a science teacher at Pueblo Magnet High School in Tucson, Arizona, received the Ron Mardigian Memorial Biotechnology Explorer Award, sponsored by Bio-Rad Laboratories, and says he has “worked for over 10 years to bring biotechnology into the classroom.” He points out that “students must be engaged with relevant ‘hands-on’ curriculum, but the trick is to find the ‘hook’ for our student population…At Pueblo, I found the ‘hook,’ biotechnology.” He says his school’s biotechnology program “provides college preparation for our students, plus provides genuine work-based learning. Students work in science, not simply read about it during a career search on the internet.”

According to Lettes, biotechnology “not only attracts the already college-bound students, but also those who are interested in work experience. Students who have mastered the content and students who have mastered the technical skills are equally valued in my classroom. This fosters a cooperative atmosphere where all students try to do well. Truly biotechnology is the rising tide that lifts all boats.” His award also provides funding to attend NSTA’s national conference. When asked about his agenda in Indianapolis, he replies, “I plan on enjoying the workshops given by my peers. Classroom teachers have a wonderful insight on what works. I also would like to network with other educators.”

Congratulations Dr. Andrew Lettes!  You represent Pueblo with Pride!

Read entire article.

Warriors Meet With Mayor Jonathan Rothschild

Two of our Pueblo students, Erick Gutierrez and Andrea Bakos, who serve on the Metropolitan Education Committee’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC) met with Tucson’s new mayor Jonathan Rothschild.

Erick Gutierrez & Andrea Bakos Meet With Tucson Mayor

The goals of the YAC are to provide youth/student input on policies and programs designed to improve the quality of education throughout Pima County and to engage in activities which foster both leadership, citizenship and the best educational opportunities for all Tucson youth.

Brandon Sanchez Is Awarded NROTC Scholarship

Brandon Sanchez NROTC Scholarship Winner

Brandon Sanchez, class of 2012, has been awarded the NROTC Scholarship.  He will receive between $180,000-$200,000 for the college or university of his choice. 

Brandon was selected from a pool of 155 applicants in the state of Arizona and is ranked as the number 1 candidate by the U.S. Marine Corps.

Though the NROTC scholarship covers many expenses, including tuition, books, fees, uniforms and living expenses, the benefits of selection into the program extend much further than educational funding and financial assistance. For those with both the desire and ability to begin a journey filled with honor, courage and commitment, becoming a Marine-Option Midshipman represents a unique opportunity to find direction, purpose and, most importantly, your place among the few as an Officer of Marines. (www.marines.com)

Brandon’s top three school choices currently are: 1) Embry-Riddle Aeronatical University, 2) Stevens Institute Of Technology and 3) ASU.

Congratulations to him and his family for this being awarded this distinguished scholarship.