JEFF FIELDER Editor
SCOTTSBLUFF – Jaqueline Lara Patino, a 2021 Scottsbluff High School graduate, is Nspire Today!’s Female Student of the Month for August, sponsored by 16th Empire Restaurant in Scottsbluff. She graduated with a 4.0 GPA. Her senior year at school she was involved in mock trial, Bearcats for Diversity, tennis, musical, orchestra, choir, peer tutoring, and FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America). Outside of school, she was involved in the local dance group Los Guadalupanos for two and a half years. She is attending the University of Nebraska at Lincoln this fall and plans to major in political science and history. She wants to go to law school after graduating from UNL. Her parents are Rosa Patino Benitez and Juan Lara Benitez. For being named a Student of the Month, Jaqueline will receive a gift certificate for a free meal at 16th Empire Restaurant.
Q: How did your senior year go at Scottsbluff High School?
LARA PATINO: “It was a more challenging year because I took more college courses than high school courses. I’m glad I did that, though, because I learned a lot in those courses. They helped prepare me for college, and they taught me how to manage my time. They also helped me improve my writing skills and presentation skills.”
Q: What was your favorite activity in school?
LARA PATINO: “Tennis and mock trial. Tennis is a sport that I really grew to love. I felt like I improved a lot in practices and games. I also built some good relationships with my teammates. As for mock trial, it was really exciting this year. It was different since this year it was virtual, but it was fun meeting new people, and we made it to the district finals. It took a lot of work, but it really paid off in the end.”
Q: What’s another activity that you really enjoyed at school?
LARA PATINO: “I really liked Family, Career and Community Leaders of America. I was only in it for two years, but my friend and I constructed two successful projects. Both were based on sustainability. Both projects went to nationals. This year we placed first at state and second at nationals. Our project last year was based on sustainable living, and this year’s project was based on food management – eliminating food waste. Districts and state this year were virtual, but nationals was in person, so we got to go to Nashville, Tennessee [from June 27 to July 2).”
The entire Q&A with Lara Patino is in the August 2021 issue of Nspire Today! magazine. To sign up for a one-year subscription (12 issues), you may send $15 to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363. Please include your name, address, phone number, and email. You may also sign up with a credit card by calling 308-220-8865 anytime, any day of the week.
If you would like to nominate someone for Nspire Today!’s Students of the Week or Students of the Month, sponsored by 16th Empire Restaurant in Scottsbluff, you may do so by sending an email to jeff.fielder@nspiretoday.com or by mailing a letter to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363. Nominations may also be submitted by sending a text to 308-220-8865.
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