Antonio Lopez (Pavona-4th Period)

On Thursday, February 2, we had the pleasure of interviewing Antonio Lopez, a PhD student. He has been in College since 1999. He graduated in 2003, but he decided to stay in school until now. Before college, he attended Whitney Young High School. His greatest goal is to become a History professor at a University. He soon will, but for now he is a mentor for high school students.

                Antonio Lopez has faced many challenges but also achieved many goals in his work. When he was younger, his family and he faced poverty. He didn’t want to live this way, so he attended school everyday. However, in school, he had many friends that stopped him from learning new things. He said it was difficult but he had to leave them in order to proceed. Now he has a Master’s Degree in history, but he isn’t stopping there. He plans to continue his education so that he can earn his Doctorate’s degree and become a professor. He wants to become a professor because “with teaching, you at least give something back.” Meaning, he wants to do the same thing for people that others did for him, and that was to help him become a great student.

Mr. Lopez: "Education is the key to success."

                Antonio Lopez cares deeply about his education. He says that “education is the key to success.” He has gone to school ever since he was five years old. His education has allowed him to travel to various places. Also, he has been able to help locally. He helps many Latinos in Pilsen learn how to speak the English language. His contributions to the community have made him a very admirable person.

                “Don’t under-appreciate what it means to be in school.” Those were Mr. Lopez words of advice for teenagers. He says that teens that go to school should be grateful because while they are fooling around in class, other children are working their lives off just because they can’t afford an education. “For children who aren’t in school due to economic problems, you need to pursue your education.” His words are very important because he knows how children are easily motivated by bigger figures, and he hopes to make a difference in his community.

Written by Elbert P.