Jonathan Varela Ortiz is ready to graduate in June, but he is also nervous about it. He knows for sure that he is going to college after high school, but his main goal is to become a professional boxer.

Currently, Varela trains for two-and-a-half hours a day after school, but it’s not always easy to find a balance with school. “I usually finish my assignments during school so I don’t have to worry about it later,” he said. College is a certainty, but Varela loves boxing enough to make it a priority. He puts a lot of effort into practice and training.

Senior year is a special time. Varela found that Senior Sunrise was “cool,” in his words, because it gave him a chance to socialize and relax with his friends before buckling down and focusing on his schoolwork during the day. Of all the senior activities, though, the one he is most looking forward to is prom.

Varela has been a Royal since his freshman year and had this to share with other Royals: “Be open to new things and join sports and clubs. Don’t be afraid to make new friends and ask for help when you need it. Last but not least, don’t skip or make being late a habit because it’s easy to do but hard to make up the work.”