Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools: Jason Cerrato - Choosing The Right Path

Davidson NC

04 May, 2022

6:31 PM

Description

Press release from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools: 5/4/2022 At times, life has been a struggle for Hopewell High senior Jason Cerrato. The 18-year-old lost his father at a young age. Jason's mother lives in Honduras, so the teen spent most of his young life living with relatives in the Huntersville area. Growing up, Jason faced adversity and some disciplinary challenges. He struggled to maintain good grades, but once he entered high school, he realized it was time for a change. Jason sought guidance from Hopewell soccer coach Dennis Mehall. Hoping to improve his life, he found a father figure in Mehall, who encouraged the young man to use soccer and a challenging academic course load to inspire him to become a better student and person. Jason took the advice to heart; he has earned A's and B's throughout high school and maintained a 4.0 GPA. "Jason is a born leader," said Mehall. "He is a leader in the classroom and throughout the school community." Jason said his time at Hopewell has set him on the right path. "I'm really glad I came to this school because it's made me a responsible man," he said. "I had to choose the bad path or the good path, and this school made me change my whole mindset to stop following the crowd and just be me." In addition to Jason's success on the soccer field and in the classroom, he also worked 30 hours a week at Amazon. He earned enough money to purchase a car on his own and to travel to Honduras to surprise his mother this past holiday season. Jason is hopeful for the future, but he realizes that lots of hard work is still ahead. He plans to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps after graduation and serve the country that has provided him with the tools to achieve his goals. This press release was produced by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. The views expressed here are the author's own.