Luis Ceballos

Metro Tech High School

Luis Ceballos is a senior at Metro Tech High School and was initially not admitted into Metro Tech. His younger brother, who is in the same grade level as him, was admitted, but Luis was rejected due to not meeting enough criteria. During middle school, Luis found himself hanging out with friends who were not a great influence on him and it impacted his behavioral and academic record. After his mother petitioned for him to be admitted, he was finally enrolled at Metro Tech. At first, being a Metro Tech student wasn't easy for Luis because he felt like he wasn't supposed to be there. However, after some time passed, he started getting involved on campus and became a positive part of the school community. 

The effort that Luis's parents took to get him into Metro Tech is a testament to how hard they have worked to build a good life here for Luis and his younger brothers. His mother and father immigrated here separately, and his mother crossed the US/Mexico border while 4 months pregnant with Luis. During the initial parts of their living here in America, Luis and his parents lived in a very small house with another family in poor living conditions. He commends his father for working very hard, sometimes with shifts over 14 hours, to get his family to where they are now. Luis has made the best of his education at Metro Tech and made many lasting bonds, including with his teachers, Mr. Camacho and Mr. Malaby, who he sees as selfless, pivotal individuals in his life. Luis played soccer for 2 years and has since shifted his focus to weight lifting, where he lifts competitively. His personal records for his lifts are 320lbs for squat, 215lbs for bench, and 385lbs for deadlift. His goal is to reach a 405 deadlift. He has also tutored other students, even students older than him, in math, his favorite subject. 

After graduating from Metro Tech, Luis plans to attend the University of Arizona's Honors College and study biology and philosophy. His goal is to get into medical school and become a doctor of general medicine. In his free time, Luis likes to play basketball with his friends and is interested in martial arts. To the rest of the class of 2022, Luis says, "Take things one step at a time. Even one step is good. Even if you open one scholarship application and read it, that's a step. Don't worry so much about the bigger picture." 

Click here to view a TikTok featuring Luis.