Carlos Sotelo Angel

Senior Spotlight: Pioneer Academy’s Carlos Sotelo Angel
Posted on 12/13/2022
This is the image for the news article titled Senior Spotlight: Pioneer Academy’s Carlos Sotelo Angel

Carlos Sotelo Angel’s first two years at high school were rough and he was struggling to find his motivation and success. That all began to change when he started at Pioneer Academy at the start of his junior year. Carlos realized he needed a change, and Pioneer provided the more intimate structure he needed to be focused on his academics. He appreciated the individual attention the teachers were able to give him and the constant encouragement that he was capable of doing the tasks the teachers were giving him. He began to believe in himself. Carlos also credits his success to his parents and his aunt and uncle, all who gave him support but also held him accountable when he needed to make a change.

Carlos grew up knowing his father did not complete high school, and though his father is very encouraging, Carlos wanted to be a good example for his sister. He wanted to show her how hard work and perseverance would pay off when it is prioritized. Tackling procrastination was the most difficult challenge for Carlos. Again, he wanted to be an example for his sister, so he made some changes and found his discipline to succeed.

After Carlos started to turn his credit situation around, he said “I got an idea of who I wanted to be and what I wanted to do.” Carlos is planning to attend college and pursue a career in law or business. His goal is to one day own a small business and practice civil law. He said his desire to create a business that can help people help themselves and helping people resolve civil issues is another way he can give back to his community. In the end Carlos said he wants the American dream of the house with the picket fence. To him that represents the accomplishments of his goals.

Carlos has accomplished many goals and we know he has many more to conquer. We look forward to seeing what he does next.

(By Cary Jordan, Pioneer Academy Counselor)