Texas is finally getting someone (besides Tyler)… And he is an amazing young man. When we moved here, Tyler struggled to find his place. And Jose Ruben helped tremendously with this. There is no telling how many games of Monopoly deal, Pokémon and chess these two have played together. He not only has been a good friend to Tyler but is an all around great kid. He has a strong sense of right and wrong and stands by his morals. He is confident in who he is and is happy to help in whatever way he can. He also doesn’t mind telling you the truth so only ask his opinion if you really want it 😂. As a teacher, I love this though because he will be a spokesman for his classmates and let us know how we can be better teachers. As president of our school he has led well, he serves well and he has great things in store for him. Read on to find out more about Jose Ruben.

Jose Ruben:

Throughout my life, I learned from different places the value of life and our duty to preserve it even if it is not specifically ours. It was thanks to the people I interacted with that I learned more about myself, how life is, and what I want to change in it. Within the last few years, I was able to participate in all kinds of activities that have formed me, like clay, into what I am today.

Experience is the Best Teacher

My first year of high school, I realized growing up meant being independent since it was my first year without my sister, who graduated and moved to college a few months before. The best memory I had was when the Juniors asked us to support them in a fundraiser for school supplies for a local kindergarten of only 20 children that was functioning on the salary of the principal. I had the chance to be part of the group that would deliver the supplies and spend time with the kids. It was so much fun to play and draw with the toddlers. The experience revealed the truth to me, that you are never too young to help others, and that I was actually capable of investing my time and effort into helping others. 

The Things you Learn from Involvement

During my sophomore year, I spent most of my time discovering new hobbies and thngs I liked to get involved in. I got more involved in competitions against other students in chess, checkers, and even basketball. September is the patriotic month for Honduras as most patriotic holidays land on that month, and this year we were asked to represent an ethnic group. We only had a week to do the research and make a banner, dishes, and a station to present our group. I remember working the day before on the banner for 6 hours with my classmates. That night I realized that you waste more time and energy whining about the work when you could finish early if you stopped whining. It was a tough night, but thankfully I had a team that showed me pretty clearly how it is always too early to give up.

Leadership

For most part of my life, I thought that leading or being the one in charge was something easy and natural for me as I fulfilled several leading positions in my class. Last year, our school was holding elections for the school council and I decided to run for president as I had several ideas that I wanted to put in place in the school. I ended up winning the elections and now I had the responsibilities of the school council in my hands. I would be lying if I said I did not struggle at the beginning, and I believed I was fully prepared for what was coming, yet I learned more about leading, organizing, and that you can never be overly prepared. I was able to organize and lead a clothing and toy fundraising for the children of the local hospital around the time of Christmas.

COVID-19 & Family

Everyone was affected by COVID-19 in a variety of ways, but in my case, it was more the stress and preoccupation that came from it more than anything else. My parents are doctors, and their work place holds the risk of exposure to the virus. The first few months I was worried for their health, but they were more worried about my health and our family’s health. It hurt me to see them avoid any kind of hug, kiss or contact with anyone in the family for most of our time in quarantine. Even though I did not like it, I understood their reason behind it since I have adopted their philosophy of doing whatever it takes to increase the chances of saving a life. 

Who I am today is all due to these kinds of events that have sharpened my skills and given me the ideals that I have today. I expect to keep learning from my mistakes and from interactions with all kinds of people.