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Turlock High student earns accolades for responsibility
char counts pic
Turlock High student Heath Rojas is the Character Counts program student of the month for the trait of responsibility. - photo by NANCY ANGEL / The Journal

Turlock High principal Dana Trevethan has high praise for student Heath Rojas. His work ethic and list of accomplishments were recently recognized by the Turlock Unified School District and he was honored as the Character Counts student of the month for the trait of responsibility. 

“Heath is a responsible young adult, not only to his academics, but to his extracurricular activities,” said Trevethan.  “He’s excelled in athletics, music, arts, and if you look at the classes that he’s taking and the courses he’s been involved in over the last three years, it exemplifies the ability that he has.  He’s an all around remarkable student.”

With an impressive great point average of 4.3, Rojas goes above and beyond on every task that is put before him.

“Heath scored a perfect 600 on two of the CST tests on the subjects of Algebra 2 and History,” added Trevethan.  “There were 24 students at our school who scored a perfect score in at least one subject.  Heath, on the other hand, was the only student out of those 24 who scored perfect on two subjects.  He is truly remarkable.”

Rojas said he owes his relentlessness and positive attitude to the influence of his older brother who’s always inspired him to do his best.

“I try to do my best on all of my academic work,” said Rojas.  “When I think of responsibility, I always keep my bother in mind because he taught me to be a responsible individual. I saw him succeed throughout his four years of high school and knowing that I’m following his footsteps makes everything worthwhile.  He is my inspiration.”

When Rojas isn’t in the library studying for an AP exam, he can be found either on the tennis courts or making beautiful music on the piano.

“I’ve been playing the piano since I was 4 years old and I practice daily,” said Rojas.  “It takes a lot of responsibility and dedication to balance school work with music and sports.  Being involved in extracurricular activities outside of school has helped me with my work ethic and has made me creative in many ways.”

Rojas said he believes that having a balance is important for every high school student.

“It’s difficult to be responsible all the time, especially when you’re a high school student,” said Rojas.  “Sometimes we like to spend time with our friends and go out but it’s important to prioritize and have a balance between the two.  It’s also not healthy to sacrifice every day working on homework.  I’ve learned to also enjoy my high school years because it only comes once in your life.”