Students set goals

With schools up and running after the holiday break, local high school and college students have new goals they want to meet for their new semester.

Eastern New Mexico University classes have been in session for a week, and Portales High School students have been back to class since Jan. 4.

Leonardo Olivas, a sophomore at Eastern New Mexico University, said one of his goals is to keep his grade point average above a 3.0. But mostly, he wants to begin taking first steps towards his future.

“I’m trying to get a work-study position as a lab assistant in the field of electronics engineering technology,” Olivas said. “Eventually, I want to get an internship in that field, so I can have some experience when I go out into the real world.”

Olivas wasn’t the only student focusing on academics.

“I plan on passing all of my classes and getting one step closer to my future plans,” said Blanca Molinar, an ENMU freshman, planning to be a Spanish teacher and softball coach.

Raquel Richardson, a senior, said her goals for the new semester are to graduate and make sure her priorities are in order.

“I have a child and another on the way, and my husband and I want to be able to prioritize,” Richardson said. “I want to be a good mom and a good student.”

Richardson said she also wants to complete her classes with A’s.

At Portales High School, student goals were much the same.

“I’m really excited to graduate,” said senior Savannah Ryen.

Ryen said she would probably go to cosmetology school after graduation.

Although she said the semester is going “pretty good,” her goal is to get through it right away. Ryen expects her biggest challenge will be her five- to seven-page senior research paper, which she hasn’t started.

“I’m definitely not looking forward to that,” she said.

Junior Tyler Howell said his biggest challenge this semester would be “just wrapping everything up and getting everything in.”

“I think my main goal would probably be to keep my grades above B’s,” he said.

Freshman Selema Yelton also said the semester is going well.

Her goal is just to pass and get to the next school year. She’s looking forward to the semester ending so she won’t be a freshman anymore.