Juan Vega is the November Student of the Month. He is a four year band member, earned second place and quali ed for state in Skills USA Team Health Knowledge Bowl, received a Dewey award for best characters at a lm competition, is a member of NHS, is in the top ten percent of his class and has been voted class favorite and handsome for the past four years. Juan has been very involved throughout high school. After graduation, he plans to attend Kilgore College to earn his Associates Degree in Nursing, after which he hopes to work as a registered nurse in a hospital.

“I plan on majoring in nursing because I like helping and making people feel better,” Juan said. “I see myself working as a nurse practitioner in a hospital, in charge of the oncology floor.”

Aside from the various school activities Juan participates in, he manages having a job as well. He works at Walmart as a fresh food stocker in the afternoons.

“My favorite part about Walmart is the friendships I have with coworkers and managers,” Juan said, “And getting employee of the month.”

Juan has built many relationships with classmates and coworkers alike, but his best friend by far has been his mom through and through.

“My mom is my best friend because she is both the sweetest person I know and is brutally honest with me,” Juan said.

Although his mom is his best friend, Juan has a different relationship with his dad that brings him encouragement and in influences him greatly.

“The person who has had the most in influence in my life is my dad,” Juan said. “My dad has taught me how to work hard and not to stress over small things, because it’ll take time away from working. This is something I carry with me every day.”

While Juan has found success in school, his biggest struggle has been the drive to school on cold winter mornings.

“My biggest challenge during high school was driving to school the entire winter without letting my windows defrost and going down Highway 31 with zero visibility,” Juan said, “I have learned to get up, go turn my truck on, and then get ready for school.”

Juan was active in many school activities, and found success in some of them. Band has been his favorite school-sponsored activity.

“Band is my favorite school activity because it’s where I connect with the most talented kids in the school and where I hang out with my best friends,” Juan said.

Outside of school, Juan had the educational opportunity to take part in Upward Bound, which is a program for kids who are potential rst generation college students.

“Upward Bound is my favorite outside of school activity because it prepares me for college and gives me opportunities I wouldn’t be able
to experience otherwise,” Juan said. “Upward Bound has taken me on college campus visits

and connected me with college counselors and administrators, as well as taken me on a trip to Washington D.C., New Orleans, and the Grand Canyon.”

Juan’s number one pastime is spending hours on end scrolling through TikTok. He can spend anywhere from two to four hours on the app.

“When life brings me down I and myself going on TikTok until I either see that there’s no more light outside, or when I start hearing birds chirping,” Juan said.

Juan’s favorite memory is nap time, throwing it back to pre school in Mrs. Terrio’s class.

“The class I miss the most is Mrs. Terrio’s Pre-K class, because nap time on those mats hit different,” Juan said.

Juan is appreciative of Mrs. Tucker because she taught him the most.

“Mrs. Tucker has taught me how to be con dent in my writing and myself,” Juan said.

The teacher that has impacted Juan the most is Coach Kirkpatrick.

“She’s encouraged me to pursue a career in the medical eld and always helps me in any way she can,” Juan said.

Graduation at the end of this year has haunted Juan some nights although it is a day he has looked forward to.

“My biggest fear about graduating is not having a graduation at all or tripping on stage…I had a dream once,” Juan said.