Winner in General Scholarship on October 11th, 2009
Cliff, a senior, is a gifted student and leader. He recently was named a National Merit Semifinalist and a National Hispanic Scholar. He holds a 5.46 weighted grade point average and scored 2320 on the SAT. He also scored 33 on the ACT. Cliff is an AP Scholar and nominee for the Morehead-Cain and Danforth Scholarships. Both scholarships honor students who have high ideals, personal integrity, academic excellence and dedication to leadership. Cliff has been inducted into five honor societies: Cum Laude Society, National Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society, Quill and Scroll Society (for high school journalists) and Mu Alpha Theta, the math honor society. Cliff speaks fluent Spanish and has devoted the past two summers to health education in the Hispanic community. He won gold medals each of the last three years on the National Spanish Exam. He placed first in a Mu Alpha Theta Math Contest and second on the American Mathematics Association Test. Cliff, who aspires to become a doctor, worked as a medical research intern last summer at Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center. He worked in the infectious disease lab conducting research on the bordetella pertussis (whooping cough). He co-authored a research paper on the results, which will be presented at a Le Bonheur Research Day and at a conference. Cliff has been on the yearbook staff since his freshman year and currently is editor-in-chief. He also serves as the poetry editor for the school's Literary Journal. He is an active participate in the Government Club, serving as vice president the last two years. He was elected president of the General Assembly for the YMCA Model United Nations. In addition, Cliff is an outstanding tennis player and was named a Best of the Preps Finalist this past year. He is the keyboardist for the school's studio band and composes music in his spare time. As a sophomore, Cliff helped start the Como Cuidar Su Corazon Program, which educates the Hispanic community about preventive heart health. He worked to rebuild homes in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast and organized a team to participate in the Jingle Bell Run for people afflicted with arthritis.
