TIME WELL SPENT

Holy Cross Senior Gains By Giving Back To The Community
Fernando Montejo wasn’t expecting to get much out of his Sunday mornings at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. Three hours walking around, helping out a little, he figured, and he would go home.
However, instead of it being a monotonous, dull time, the well-over 50 hours of community service (all Holy Cross seniors are required to complete 50 hours of community services to graduate) the Corona teen spent helping clean up the park became one of the greatest experiences in his young life.
“You meet so many people,” he said, “and make so many connections.”
Besides giving back to the community by clearing off snow, sweeping away leaves and helping in other ways, the bonds Montejo formed were vital.
Admittedly a shy kid, Montejo wasn’t one to strike up a conversation with a classmate; he wouldn’t call himself a loner but a socialite he was not.
His first day at the park, he recalled, was “really enjoyable.” Several other kids his age were also at the park cleaning up, as part of the service program.
That day many teens approached Montejo, offering help, guidance, and best of all, friendliness.
“I started off just wanting to finish my credit,” Montejo said. “It’s been a month since I finished my 50 hours. But I enjoy it; it’s not a requirement anymore. I want to continue doing it because I’m not a very sociable person. There are a lot of people I’ve met. I can make friends easily now.
“…It really helped me to let go and become a little more outgoing than I really am,” he continued. “I don’t have to be afraid of making friends.”
In addition to his work at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Montejo participated in the park’s “It’s My Park Day” this fall and in a walk-a-thon with St. Mary’s Children’s Hospital.
Because of all his work, Vivian Cruz, Montejo’s volunteer coordinator, invited him to Terrace at the Park for their Partnership for Parks Dinner.
As a volunteer he was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation. That evening he met Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski, who promised him a summer internship.
In the classroom, Montejo, a three-year member of the National Honor Society, is a special student. With a 99.79 average, he currently ranks 5th in his 231-student class. Furthermore, he scored an 1820 out of 2400 on the SATs.
“He’s a great student,” said Tom Pugh, Montejo’s guidance counselor at Holy Cross. “He does a lot of stuff. He’s involved in a lot of activities out of school. … What a great kid. He studies hard, he works hard. He does everything he’s supposed to do.”
At the Flushing school, Montejo is involved in the foreign language, art, and newspaper clubs. Montejo finished first in French class during his freshman and junior years. In the art club, his main focus is architecture. Working for the school newspaper, he’s found an interest in writing about current issues like racism and politics.