A mature heart in an old soul

Mount Carmel School is celebrating the 2006 Catholic Schools Week from Jan. 29 to Feb. 3. As part of that week, the school will feature profiles on different members of the school family: a student, a parent, alumni, a teacher, a staff member, and the school itself. Today’s profile is on senior John R. P. Del Rosario.

Student council president. Second term Youth Congress representative. Yearbook editor. Those are just some of the ways to look at John R. P. Del Rosario. But a closer look at this senior reveals a young man with an old soul when it comes to music, and a mature heart when it comes to people.

Born on Nov. 17, 1987 to Juan and Julie Del Rosario, John has attended Mount Carmel since the first grade. Over the years, he has accomplished much. Aside from the leadership positions mentioned above, John has served as Student Council treasurer and has participated in the school’s Red Cross Club and Theatre Club. Last summer, he attended Stanford University as part of the Junior Statesmen of America summer program, an academic achievement matched by his enrollment in Mount Carmel’s Advanced Placement program for two years running.

While he has been busy, John has appreciated the many opportunities that have come his way. Referring to his high school years, John said, “It has been well spent. I have no regrets.”

As accomplished as this overachiever is, however, many of his friends have known John over the years as an avid musician with a love for good songwriting and loud guitars. John has been the lead guitarist for two popular student bands, the Four Long Johns and its most recent incarnation, Jake and the No Talent Nothings. When his band performs, the audience can expect to hear current punk songs from the likes of Green Day and Fall Out Boy, but they can also expect surprises from an impressive classic rock repertoire.

John attributes his love for music to his family and friends. “We all got into guitar and just started playing.”

And what musician would not have a list of major influences? In John’s case, he points to the classics: The Beatles, The Doors, and Bob Dylan. But, above all, he says his most important influence is his dad, who also plays guitar.

Aside from music, John is also passionate about his writing. In fact, John plans to earn a degree in journalism from either University of Southern California or University of Texas at Austin and return to Saipan as a journalist.

“I think writing is a strong point of mine. Journalism is a really good way to use that talent practically for the betterment of other people.”

Looking at a future in journalism, John hopes and intends to promote a better understanding of the big picture in the world of the media. “I’m a rather optimistic person. I like to look at things in perspective.” He added, “I’m generally a positive person. I try not look entirely at the negative things in life.”

Such a humanistic perspective is reinforced by what John believes are the most important things in his life: “My faith. Family and friends. My will to learn. The human spirit. The good in people.”

CATHOLIC EDUCATION

This year’s themes for Catholic Schools Week are Compassion, Character, and Values. We asked John what he felt about those words. He said, “They’re good words to describe what every Catholic student should have, what every Catholic in general should have.”

We also asked him for his thoughts on the value of Catholic education.

“It’s a good thing because it helps people, even those who are not Catholic, grow in faith, not necessarily the Catholic faith, but in having faith in general, which I think is very important.” He added that it is important to “have some kind of concept of good and evil in one’s life,” which he believes a Catholic education provides.

Referring to his own experience in Catholic education, John also spoke of his soon-to-be alma mater, the only Catholic school on island. “That fact that we are a Catholic school means that we don’t just merely educate with a focus on discipline. We also have the extra focus on character. Like our mission says, we educate the whole person.” He added, “As opposed to simply educating minds, we educate hearts and souls.”

When asked further about his thoughts on his school, John pointed to the school’s small class sizes and faculty as its greatest assets. “It’s a good environment for learning. Small population has made it really easy to get to know people. So you can pretty much know everyone. The teachers are good for the most part. They offer a good education, probably the best on the island.”