Jonathan Pierre - East River High School

Jonathan’s commitment to service is easily evidenced by his 500 hours of community service. Academically, he excels in Pre-IB and AICE, and is dually enrolled at Valencia College. He is a member of the National Honor Society, National Beta Club, and the Key Club. He is a Red Cross volunteer and believes he cannot be bounded or limited by others’ expectations.

In spite of many challenges in his life, Jonathan has shown determination, willpower, perseverance and faith. He lives daily believing “Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

His favorite MLK inspires him to never give up: “If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.”

Future Goals: Jonathan's choice of universities include UCF, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Florida A&M University or Embry-Riddle. He wants to become an aerospace engineer.