Senior Spotlight: Jacob Lopez

Jacob Lopez has true passion for everything he puts his mind to. No matter what, he refuses to give up on his goals and is constantly trying to better the world around him in any way he can. He’s a true leader who’s willing to step up whenever it is necessary to guide others toward success. Despite working part time, Jacob still manages to take part in various extracurriculars at Metuchen High School. He challenges himself with difficult courses along with  a significant role in his community, with his main interest at MHS concerning the environment.

Jacob is president of the environmental club at Metuchen High School, which he claims to have learned a great deal from over the years. According to him, the environmental club is where, “...most of [his] work comes from.” His interest in the environment goes back to middle school, where he first joined the environmental club. Alongside club advisor Ms. Kato, Jacob helps guide the club to success with fellow students like his friend Samuel Brown. His active involvement is greatly appreciated by the members. At one point, he claims that when the leaders of the club started to not come to the meetings, he stepped up and displayed true initiative. He claims that the club “...had two presidents who weren’t…going to the meetings so Rowan Brown and [him] took over the club.” His dedication was made clearer by his advertisement during our interview stating,  “...my final message is to keep an eye out for the environmental club share tables that are coming.” Jacob also helps out the environment by being part of the tree ambassadors at MHS which brings him great joy to be a part of. Ms. Kato, the club advisor for both tree ambassadors and the environmental club at the high school says, “Jacob is an exceptional student leader whose vision and initiative have driven major sustainability efforts at our school, from tree planting to waste reduction. His dedication to environmental action will leave a lasting impact on the Metuchen community.”

Samuel Brown, a friend of Jacob, also had some words to say about him, “Jacob is a hard worker. When he dedicates his mind to something, he'll always get it done, and do it well.”

His interest in the environment is also evident through his participation in the envirothon team competition in New Jersey. He takes pride in the fact that just recently,  the school placed third in the competition. He says that the competition involves identifying trees and animals as well as completing other nature oriented tasks.  Jacob specializes in forestry during the competition and explained that while  it’s a challenge, he and his time are fully dedicated. 

With regards to his amazing accomplishments over the years, Ms. Lemerich, the school’s STEM supervisor, says that, “As both a Tree Ambassador and Environmental Club member, Benjamin has been instrumental in advancing our district’s sustainability initiatives. Benjamin played an integral role in shaping the district’s tree-planting plans as part of the Sustainable Jersey Trees for Schools grant, helped establish a share table at MHS, and supported district communication highlighting the data-driven impact of our district's participation in Share My Meals. These contributions are just a few examples of Benjamin's leadership and commitment to environmental stewardship. We are deeply grateful for Benjamin's lasting impact on our school community.”

Jacob enjoys helping out and studying the environment, but explained that he wants “to go into networking and cybersecurity.” He plans to pursue a career in these fields after college, and  is particularly interested in going to Stevens, NJIT, or Rutgers. He has applied to all of these schools and is looking forward to hearing back. He’s excited to learn more about these topics in the near future and to hopefully establish a career in one of these areas of expertise.

Jacob is clearly a passionate and hard-working student who is constantly trying to help out his community in any way. He leads the community through various initiatives and inspires those around him to step up and make a change as he has often throughout his incredible high-school career. Considering his dedication, it’s safe to say that he’ll  continue to make a positive impact on whatever communities he joins in the years to come..