Parents: Through all the things I have accomplished, I give all the credit to God for providing me with opportunities to achieve these things, and for blessing me with a family that is always supporting my efforts. My father, Ernest Razo, is the living example of the man I wish to be. His work ethic, respect, responsibility, and intelligence are all things that I try my best to reflect in my own life. I thank him for pushing me to be the best person I can be. My mother, Magdalena Razo, is another reason for my success. She has been there to support me emotionally, especially through stressful and difficult times. She is always there to pray for me, talk to me, and give me reassurance when I am doubting. I am grateful for her support and for her motivation to keep going. Finally, I would like to give credit to my brothers and sisters for always celebrating my achievements with me. Their presence in my life brings me daily encouragement. As a whole, my family reminds me that I don't do this for me, but for them.
Post Graduation Plans: I plan on going into Business, particularly Real Estate, and potentially mastering in Business Law. I'm not sure what college I am going to attend and it really depends on the scholarships I have. I plan on getting an academic scholarship as I have a 4.6 GPA and have good scores on my SAT and ACT as well as participate in many clubs.
9th Grade: During my freshman year of high school, I was mostly involved in the Engineering class. In this class, I learned Computer Aided Design (CAD) through a program called SolidWorks and earned a CSWA (Certified SolidWorks Associate) Certificate. I also participated in Robotics where I helped with the design of the robot and parts of the assembly. Another big project I took on in Engineering was the ASCEND High Altitude Balloon Project, which was a college internship. In this project, our team designed a payload that would be attach to a weather balloon to collect information about the atmosphere. We were the only high school participants of this project. Some other awards and certifications I earned in 9th grade include the White Belt Six Sigma Certification and an Algebra II Academic Excellent Award.
10th Grade: In 10th Grade, I continued to learn in Engineering and I joined Construction Technologies. In Engineering, I earned the CSWP (Certified SolidWorks Professional) Certification, participated in two semesters of the ASCEND High Altitude Balloon Project, and competed in SkillsUSA Additive Manufacturing Competition. In Construction Technologies, I was able to obtain the OSHA 10 Construction Card. One of the more challenging classes I took my sophomore year was AP World History and I passed the AP exam with a 5. I ended my sophomore year by taking a summer class at Arizona State University (ASU) through the Joaquin Bustos Math & Science Honors Program (JBMSHP). This program was a 6-week summer program where I stayed in the Barret Honors College dorms to take Pre-Calculus.
11th Grade: My junior year was much different than my freshman and sophomore years. In 11th Grade, I decided to focus on learning new skills rather than building skills I was already familiar with. One class I took to obtain this goal was Guitar II, which provided many opportunities to develop my new favorite hobby. Although this class taught me how to play guitar, on a deeper and indirect level, it also taught me to appreciate the artistic features of music. Another skill I developed was my Spanish speaking. Being influent in Spanish, despite having a lot of family that speaks the language well, motivated me to focus hard on my Spanish II class. The most challenging skills for me to develop my junior year were associated with the AP Language & Composition class. In this class, I learned how to identify and analyze various devices that are used in texts to deliver a message to an audience. Aside from learning, the English applications of this skill, I learned to apply these skills to all aspects of my life to make me a better learner, by being able to identify and analyze the message/lessons of every situation I face. Last year, I was also involved in National Honor Society (NHS). NHS allowed me to earn 30 volunteer hours and, through volunteering, I learned to be responsible and help others, and the importance of teamwork. Ending my junior year, I once again participated in the ASU JBMSHP, where I passed the MAT 265 Calculus for Engineers I class.
12th Grade: This year, my senior year, I hope to expand all my skills and develop the ones I already have. To accomplish this, I have been taking advantage of any opportunities that are provided to me that will benefit me. One example of this is learning how to use the CNC machine in the Construction shop. Although I am still learning this skill, I know, once I get it down, I will be able to open even more doors in my future. I am also seeking to obtain my OSHA 30 Card through an afterschool Central Arizona College (CAC) class I am currently taking. Another goal I have for this year is to effectively prepare for college. From my two ASU summer classes, I am already on a good path for college, but I would like to apply for and obtain various scholarships to help me financially prepare. I will continue to participate in NHS this year, which will also give me various opportunities to improve as an individual.
Teacher Comments: Mr. Tahar
"Elias is fully deserving of the Rotary Student of The Month award. He is a critical thinker who excels in classroom debates, STEM, and a diverse range of academic topics. Elias is an adept writer who can analyze a diverse range of texts with incisive precision. He is also a creative thinker who can articulate himself with clarity and skill.
Elias has a consistent positive mental attitude and is always willing to improve. For someone as academically gifted as Elias, it is refreshing to see that he is so dedicated to improving the community around him. More specifically, he has collected trash in the school parking lot, on the school campus, and on the side of roads. Elias has donated canned food for food drives and handed out candles for a school memorial event. All these actions prove that he does not merely rest on his laurels but seeks to improve the environment around him.
Elias Razo is the kind of student who teachers hope are lucky enough to teach. I will dearly miss teaching him, but I know he will go on to have an excellent career and forever change the lives of those lucky enough to encounter him for the better."