On May 27, 2023, five high school seniors who participated in Dueña de mi futuro will graduate from South Warren High School, heading to college this fall. One of which, Beatriz Oliveira Antunes, leaves high school sharing some words to remember.
“Try everything once, but don’t stretch yourself too thin. High school is full of opportunities,” said Antunes, who served in multiple organizations and leadership roles. “There are many different clubs and activities that you can participate in.”
During her freshmen year, she continued participating in Future Problem Solvers and the Academic Team, groups she started in seventh grade. She joined Future Business Leaders of America, Key Club, Dance Little Red, and National Beta Club – serving as President of FBLA and Key Club. Her remaining years in high school saw her added involvement in the Governor’s Scholars Program, Student Ambassadors, and Bridging the Gap where she served as a certified interpreter.
“I loved exploring this new world when I was a freshman,” Antunes said. “But be intentional about how you spend your time because, as cliche as it sounds, time flies while you are in high school.”
Also, during high school, Antunes began participating in Dueña de mi Futuro, which translates as Owner of My Future. Mi Futuro brings together Latina teens and offers participants an opportunity to learn from educators and speakers about leadership and college and career opportunities. They learn from and network with Latina leaders as well as career professionals from all backgrounds.
Antunes joined Mi Futuro in its first-ever offering in the fall of 2020 and continued through her senior year. She and senior Marisol Perez-Ku are the first students from the 2020 starting class to graduate from high school.
“Reflecting on the last four years, I am most proud of how much I have grown academically and personally. Throughout high school, I strived to challenge myself in the classroom,” Antunes said. In addition to learning more about herself and improving her leadership skills, Antunes’s willingness to challenge herself has led to numerous awards and recognitions that she is grateful for.
She explains that “the accomplishment that I am most proud of this year is placing 2nd at the competitive Kentucky State Governor’s Cup for Future Problem Solving (FPS). I have been a part of FPS for six years and being able to place so highly was extremely meaningful to me in my last season.”
Since this interview, Antunes was named a 2023 U.S. Presidential Scholar by the U.S. Department of Education.
Beatriz Oliveira Antunes is the daughter of Gisele Garcia de Oliveira and Silvio Antunes Pinto, both from Brazil. After graduating, she will attend Vanderbilt University to study biochemistry and Spanish, and she will be part of the College Scholars Honors Program at Vanderbilt.
Dueña de mi Futuro is presented by For a Real Change, Inc. in partnership with the Hispanic Organization for the Promotion of Education (HOPE) with support from the WKU Recruitment in Equity and Diversity in Teaching Program and Southcentral Kentucky Community & Technical College.
Author: Aurelia Spaulding