Two Tecumseh High School students were recognized by New Carlisle Rotarians last week as Student and Citizen of the Month.

Luiz Alvarado was named Citizen of the Month, and Benjamin Geysinger was named Student of the Month.

Alvarado read from a speech he had submitted in class, explaining his appreciation and love for his parents for bringing him to America so that he could secure a better future for himself than he could have had in Mexico.

“I’m forever in debt to my parents—I know they had to make a sacrifice in bringing me here so I could get a better education and better future,” he said.

He said he seizes every opportunity here to better himself—embracing sports and studies alike, as he wants to be a nurse practitioner, noting that he has a soft spot for the elderly.

“My mom pushed me to be what I am—she’s the reason I’m here today,” he said. “She spent time caring for elderly neighbors in Mexico, and she told me that it’s a good feeling to help good people feel better.”

Alvarado said he also spends time helping to connect his two worlds by translating English and Spanish for his friends and family.

High School Principal Ivan Gehret said he was incredibly proud of Alvarado for taking upper-level and college-credit courses, saying: “I couldn’t be prouder of the young man he is today.”

Benjamin Geysinger introduced himself, saying he is a Senior at CTC, where he studies mechanical engineering.

He said he goes to both work and school each day through the program, and plans to go to Sinclair for two years before attending university to complete his degree in mechanical engineering.