Here is my second profile of a senior at Lake Roosevelt High School this year. If I was to look at this year’s seniors and pick one that has grown up the most over the years I have known him, I would pick today’s subject. Jonathan Cante is one of those kids that is just plain likable on all levels. So here’s Jonny…

We sat in my office at Lake Roosevelt, and it was a quick conversation that was packed full of focus and confidence. I started by asking about the senior year and the answer came quick and calm. Pretty much like Jonathan is all the time. “Great” he said with that slick smile. “Pretty easy so far, I don’t have too many hard classes and things are good.” Pretty much the answer you would expect from the Mr. Cool persona.

We moved on to some pretty serious subjects, but when I asked him about overcoming things in his life, he opened up and got very serious. “Well, last year I got in some pretty serious trouble, and it cost me my football season. That hurt. But I learned a lot and I matured and learned from my mistake.”

What a great attitude about a costly situation. We as adults have a hard time learning from the bad situations in life, and here is a young man that genuinely grew up while sitting in the stands. But that is not the only thing he has overcome in life.

When I asked about his biggest influences in life, he spoke highly of his mother, Felicitas Garcia. “She has brought us from almost poverty to where we are today. She did that by taking advantage of the opportunities that came her way and by working really hard.” Jonathan recognizes the sacrifices that his mom makes every day, not just for him, either. She helps her entire family, including those still in her hometown in Mexico. Jonathan also spoke highly of Mrs. Whitelaw, the Current World Problems teacher at Lake Roosevelt. “She motivates me daily. It is hard when she is gone; she just cares about us all so much, and it’s crazy that we can miss her so much.” Two ladies that have been great influences on a young man. It is cool to see that they both work at Lake Roosevelt, influencing so many.

Jonathan knows what his future looks like, as well. He plans on doing two years at a community college in Spokane, or in Mt. Vernon, where his sister lives. “After that, I will go to UW into the pre-med program,” he says with confidence and that smile. He knows what he wants, and he is not afraid to work just as hard as his mom to get it.

Jonathan regrets not taking his education more seriously during his freshman and sophomore years. He did not think about the future at that time, but now, as he sits on the threshold of his future, he has advice for future classes: “Don’t be immature, and focus on your work.” Very simple and important advice for the future. He also had some words for the Grand Coulee Dam School District: “Thank you for the opportunity and all the time and everything you do for all the students.”

It has been a great pleasure getting to know Mr. Cante over the years, and we can’t wait to see him on the basketball court for his senior year. This is a great sign for Lake Roosevelt. If we are teaching students to overcome the obstacle in front of them and they come out of it with their eyes still on the prize, we’re doing communities everywhere a great service, because men like Jonathan will soon be their neighbor and contributing to them.