Cristian Avelar-Romero dreamed of attending an Ivy League college and following four years of hard work, the Huntington High School senior is seeing his dreams come true. The teenager is headed to Cornell University to study mechanical engineering.
“I remember looking into colleges my freshman year and dreaming of attending a prestigious Ivy league institution,” Mr. Avelar-Romero said. “I knew it would be challenging, so I worked hard, both in and out of the classroom to achieve my goal. I’m thrilled and grateful to be attending Cornell next fall. I chose the school because of its excellent academic record and the financial help it offers. While I did not receive a full ride as I had hoped, I did receive a grant that covers all of my tuition. I’m only paying for the cost of my housing and meals.”
Mr. Avelar-Romero has excelled academically. He is on Huntington High School’s High Honor Roll. “Cornell is ranked No. 10 in the country for mechanical engineering, which is what I will be majoring in and what led me to choose this school,” he said.
The teenager said he is ready for the academic challenges he is sure to face at Cornell. “Because of how Huntington has prepared me to excel academically and as a person, I feel prepared for college,” Mr. Avelar-Romero said. “Huntington offers a diverse range of courses for students to choose from. I believe that taking some of the rigorous Advanced Placement courses available benefited me greatly because it taught me to persevere in the face of adversity, even if I failed. This, I believe, is a crucial factor to recognize since we will fail and struggle in life, but we must push through and strive for success.”
Mr. Avelar-Romero plans to participate in the Cornell Tradition Fellows program, whose members contribute over 50,000 hours of work and over 40,000 hours of service in the campus, local and home communities annually.
“I would also like to take part in either intramurals or club teams for soccer and maybe try some other sports out,” he said. “I would love to take part in academic organizations like the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and a Latino organization called La Asociación Latina.”
A member of Huntington High School’s Key Club, Mr. Avelar-Romero has been inducted into the National Honor Society, Math Honor Society, Science Honor Society, English Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society. He’s been mentoring ENL (English as a new language) students as a New World club member, calling it a “great experience.”
Mr. Avelar-Romero played on the varsity boys’ soccer team that reached the county finals for the first time in more than 60 years. “I enjoyed every moment of the season and made it count for my last year,” he said. He has also earned varsity letters with the winter and spring Blue Devil track teams.
“I have also enjoyed doing community service activities with the team, representing how Huntington is one big family,” Mr. Avelar-Romero said. “Every week I have kept busy working at my part-time job as a cashier at Stop & Shop.”
Putting on a Huntington Blue Devil uniform in three separate sports seasons has been an enjoyable experience for the teenager.
“Athletics would have to be Huntington’s crown jewel,” Mr. Avelar-Romero said. “Huntington offers a variety of sports and ensures that everyone may participate, from regular JV and varsity teams to Unified sports. The games bring the community together as they demonstrate their support for various sports. The buzz created by these sports allows younger children to watch the games and develop an interest in the sport, which will hopefully lead to their trying out for sports in middle school. Being a part of a sports team allows you to meet new people that you consider family and it is a fantastic experience that you will not regret participating in.”
Although always busy, Mr. Avelar-Romero manages to find time for new adventures and activities that broaden his horizons.
“This past winter break I traveled to El Salvador, where I spent time with family members that I really don’t see often and some which I met for the first time,” Mr. Avelar-Romero said. “It is fascinating being able to look at where my parents grew up and how their lives have changed compared to their living conditions in El Salvador. I don’t do much traveling so my favorite place would have to be El Salvador because of the amount of family I have over there and because of its beauty.”
His teachers and classmates love and respect Mr. Avelar-Romero. He’s a kind and compassionate young man who is always trying to make his community and the world a better place.
“What makes Huntington, Huntington is the diversity that we have within the community,” Mr. Avelar-Romero said. “We all come from various origins and we are all unique in our own way. We are all one huge Huntington family, regardless of our differences, which is why we can all get along and be friends with each other, making the experience here at Huntington amazing.”
Faculty members are united in the view that Cornell University is getting one of Huntington’s finest in Mr. Avelar-Romero.
“My time at Huntington has been fantastic,” Mr. Avelar-Romero said. “I’ve made memories I’ll never forget with a large number of people I’ll never forget. I wouldn’t change a thing about my experience at Huntington. Huntington will always be my home and I will always be a Blue Devil.”