wkwhiz
17
kids
Jennifer Contreras
Wilmington Early College High School
Wilmington just doesn’t make beef enchiladas like they do
in Honduras where Jennifer Contreras was born. And she
misses them along with the friends and family she left six
years ago when she and her mother moved to the U.S. where her
father already resided.
“We came to be together,” Jennifer says.
And she’s happy with the change. Though she left pieces of her
culture behind in the move, Jennifer brought with her a skill she’s now
finding useful that she says she inherited from her mother.
“She’s really good at math, so I think I got that from her,” Jennifer
says.
Since she can remember, Jennifer has loved crunching numbers.
Math has always been her favorite subject. That’s why she’s already
pursuing a career in accounting.
Not sure if she’ll stay in The States or find her way back to her native
land after college, Jennifer says she has her heart set on helping people
through her innate skills. “There are a lot of jobs in Honduras that
need accountants, especially ones that speak both languages,” Jennifer
explains.
For three years, Jennifer has volunteered as a translator in the
Tileston Health Clinic for low-income families. And with her other free
time she also helps her mother and serves as a Jehovah’s Witness.
For Jennifer, it’s not solely about money-management advice, it’s
also a lot about soul.
Favorite class: Math.
Favorite teacher: “It was in middle school. She was my ESL teacher.
Her name was Lois Williams.”
Study style: “What works for me is I read the chapters assigned and
then I make note cards to study.”
Where I see myself in 15 years: “As an accountant with a good job,
maybe teaching accounting.”
Extra credit: Jehovah’s Witness, translates for Tileston Health Clinic,
tennis, National Honors Student, AED Honor Roll.
www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com WBM
Stanley Broaden
Ashley High School
With a total of 78 goals, Stanley Broaden, an Ashley
High School forward on the varsity soccer team, is
the all-time leading scorer for his school and has
earned the title All-State in both soccer and track.
With athletic stats like his, it comes as no surprise that he
was scouted by several colleges not just for one, but for both
sports in which he excels. Last February, Stanley signed to play
soccer and run track at Appalachian State University.
Stanley first kicked the ball around when he was four or five
years old.
“It was the only sport at the time that allowed four or fiveyear
olds,” he explains.
Though it took years of practice to earn all the merit he’s
scored, Stanley gives his mom, whose basketball career
extended through college, credit for his proficiency in the athletic
world—something , even after college, he doesn’t intend
to leave behind.
With inspiration from his Wilmington Hammerheads Youth
Academy coach Craig Johnson, who is also a physician’s assistant,
Stanley was motivated to pursue an internship following
orthopedic surgeon Dr. David Esposito. Stanley now has his
sight set on a future in the health field.
“I feel like I want to work with athletes,” he says, “do something
I know I’ll enjoy, always be able to stay around the sport
or any sport if I go into being a doctor.”
Favorite class: Math and science.
Favorite teacher: Mrs. Ransom.
Study style: “Being a student athlete is pretty tough at times,
but studying ahead of time helps make things easier.”
Where I see myself in 15 years: “Working in the health care
profession.”
Extra Credit: Soccer, track, National Honor Society, Beta Club,
Eye of the Eagle Service Award, Wendy Heisman Award-winner
for Ashley High School.