Erick Monroy named finalist for Boettcher
Erick Monroy is trying to learn the deep life lessons from his parents, and their parents, that many never learn, or learn too late.
“I've see my parents suffer through their own jobs, and choosing a job that I actually love and feel passionate about is something my parents have always wanted for me,” explained Erick.
Erick’s passion is to serve - to serve his family, to serve his community and to serve his culture. The Coal Ridge High School senior is a finalist for the prestigious Boettcher Scholarship.
Erick, along with the over 1,000 applicants, wrote one main essay and three smaller ones to apply for the prestigious scholarship. From there, Boettcher administrators reviewed letters of recommendation highlighting his leadership, community service and academic accomplishments. The final step will be a 15-minute interview with a panel in Denver.
It’s a daunting process. One that Erick wasn’t sure he wanted to complete. Then, the voices of Coal Ridge past spoke to him.
“I was walking past our main hallway of our school and I saw the Boettcher wall with people who have won it previously. I looked at the names of people I've admired throughout their history of Coal Ridge and I was like, ‘They've done incredible things.’ I said, ‘How can I compare myself to them?’ At that point I was like, why not? Just go for it. I have a great support system here at school. They've given me great opportunities. It may lead to great things. I'm grateful I made that decision.”
Erick would like to become a leader in supporting the health and wellness of the Hispanic community in the valley, something he sees as a growing issue. He hopes to attend the University of Colorado-Boulder and become a doctor with a business degree and be the bridge between the medical and Latino communities by opening his own medical practice.
“We have a large Hispanic population, and there are not that many doctors who are Hispanic, who know that culture and understand the type of food we eat, the type of diets, the type of life structure that we have,” explained Erick. “I think having that background as a Hispanic and being able to pursue a medical degree and start my own practice in Colorado, would be a great thing for our valley and our whole community.”
He draws inspiration from his family - specifically, his grandparents.
“They go to the doctors and discuss their problems with people who might not have the same cultural background or understanding of what's happening in their lives. It's harder to identify the right procedures for medication or how to fix their lifestyles, without interfering on what their beliefs are and their goals are.”
In addition to his academic skills, he has a 4.4 GPA on a 4.0 point scale, Erick has honed his leadership skills at Coal Ridge. He is the student body president, captain of the cross country team, and involved in too many clubs to count.
He began his educational career at Cactus Valley Elementary as a kindergartener and draws strength from those community and school ties.
“Some of my classmates have been with me since elementary school, and just being able to see the progression of their growth, not just in me, but being able to help them, has been an incredible thing,” said Erick with discernable pride. “I've gotten to work with people who are smart, intuitive, hardworking, who know what they want in their life and who have goals. And sometimes, you might feel afraid of that, but at the same time you take that as motivation to be able to be like, "I can do it too." These are the people that I grew up with and we can pursue.”
Erick will learn if he becomes one of the just 42 Boettcher Scholars in March.
Established in 1952, the Boettcher Scholarship program awards 42 scholarships each year and has established a network of more than 2,400 Boettcher Scholars. This places the program among the largest merit-based scholarship programs in the nation.