Leonardo Martinez-Perez will leave some big shoes to fill when he graduates in June. In his four years at Armijo he has spent a lot of time in community service clubs, including Around the World and Helping Hands. “If I could change one thing about Armijo,” he said, “it would be the cliques that students create… Sometimes these cliques limit friendships that could have been created.” That is important to Martinez-Perez. “When I graduate, I’ll miss seeing my friends the most,” he said.

“My favorite memory from Armijo is last year’s Powder Puff. It was the first year I participated in it and I really enjoyed it,” he said. “Overall, I’ll miss all the fun events and football games that Armijo has to offer.” He encourages others not to waste their high school experience on worrying about meaningless things. “Have fun!” he said.

What Armijo will lose, UC Berkeley is likely to gain. Martinez-Perez plans to attend the university and major in Computer Science and Math. “I’m not sure where I’ll find a job but I hope to be happy wherever I end up,” he said.
In his spare time, Martinez-Perez enjoys ‘jailbreaking,’ where he designs the iPhone operating system. “I am able to design my phone to make every aspect of it much cleaner and advanced.” He also enjoys playing soccer with friends and family. He has an older sister, Camila, who graduated from Armijo in 2015. “I love her so much and look up to her,” said Martinez-Perez.

With three years of high school experience behind him, Martinez-Perez has an understanding of what takes to be successful. “Attempt to get good grades and just be yourself,” he said. “Often people try and change who they are to ‘fit’ in, but I promise you, there is someone who will love you for who you are.”