An Artist Who Helps Others

Although his community service requirements for Holy Cross High School were already met, Joseph Botero returned to Operation Fulfillment Unmet Needs (FUN), a month-long day camp for the mentally handicapped, last summer. He enjoyed the four weeks he spent there so thoroughly the summer of his sophomore year, the Bayside teen had to go back.
“It was just fun interacting with them,” he said. “I loved it. It made me realize not to follow stereotypes. You have to be tolerant of others and it was just a good experience. I highly recommend it for everybody.”
In fact, Botero had such a good time he plans on returning to Forest Hills for the camp again this summer, after graduation. He hopes to assist counselors with several classes including gym, music and arts and crafts.
In fact, arts and crafts are a passion of his. Botero is in the process of applying to numerous arts schools in the area. He has become proficient in charcoal and oil painting. “It just seems to be better for me because it’s helping me develop my skills,” he said.
When he began drawing as a child, Botero recalled wanting to be a cartoonist but has since altered his plans to the field of graphic design. Botero says when he began to draw as a child; he did it out of boredom. Now, however, “it’s interesting. It’s exhilarating to sit down and just draw what you see.”
Botero goes about creating a drawing or painting in the same manner he did when he first started. “I have a whole image of what I want in my head,” he said, ”and I try to get as close to that as I possibly can.”
But Botero, 17, isn’t just an aspiring artist; he’s also an excellent student. He’s been on the Principal’s List all four years at Holy Cross, with an average of 100.6. At the end of his junior year, he was ranked 6th in his entire class.
He’s a three-year member of the National Honor Society at Holy Cross, and was recently elected vice president of the prestigious club. Botero is involved in extracurricular activities at Holy Cross, like the student council. As a junior, he was class president and is now serving his second term as class vice president; a role he held as a sophomore. In his rare free time, Botero tutors fellow students.
“He’s been very successful in helping a lot of students,” said Mary Anne Kelleher, Botero’s guidance counselor. “He’s always available and happy to do it.”
Currently, Botero’s taking advanced placement classes, including calculus and English, and numerous art classes like mechanical drawing, three-dimensional design and computer graphics.
“He has a tremendous future in front of him,” Kelleher said. “He’s a great kid and a great student.”
In addition to his interest in art, Botero’s a music enthusiast. A hard rock and heavy metal fan, Botero saved up enough money over the last year working at Garden World in Flushing to take drum lessons. “I always wanted to play drums, so now I’m regretting that I hadn’t started earlier,” he said.