Community Corner
Leading a Winning Team
Academia Advance Senior Ismael Duran leads the school's soccer team to its first championship playoffs.
Ismael Duran
Whiz Kid's Age: 17
Whiz Kid's School: Academia Advance Public Charter School, Highland Park
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Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: As team captain, Ismael has led the Academia Avance Soccer Team to its first championship playoffs.
Whiz Kid's Motivation: “I just always try to do my best and show the rest of the team that it doesn’t matter what you do or where you come from, as long as you believe in yourself and you never give up, you can accomplish anything.”
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Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness: Ismael moved to Highland Park in 2005. He is a native of Jalisco, Mexico. He says his parents raised him to “never let his differences or the fact that he is from another country keep him from succeeding here.” His command of that advice has helped his team beat the odds and make a name for themselves as a force to be reckoned with out on the soccer field. "We are a small school, and nobody believed we could actually do it. But here we are, proving them all wrong."
The team plays its first championship game this Friday. Ismael has been accepted to Cal State Universtity, Los Angeles where he intends to begin studying architecture in the fall.
