MCS student Larry Cruz recognized by College Board National Recognition Program

The National College Board recently recognized Mount Carmel School senior Larry Dean Tenorio Cruz as an awardee for the College Board National Recognition Program. Cruz received the Indigenous Recognition Award and the National Rural and Small Town Recognition Award based on his exemplary examination scores for the PSAT and Advanced Placement courses.

The College Board National Recognition Program is designed to aid underrepresented students who have demonstrated high academic achievement in PSAT/NMSQT, the PSAT 10, or AP Exams. The program is also meant to create pathways for students by awarding them academic honors and connecting them with universities across the United States.

Cruz is a Mount Carmel School senior and the current vice president of the school’s ECO Club and a key member of Mount Carmel School’s Theatre Club. Throughout his time in Theatre Club, Cruz gained experience in directing, acting, choreography, and artistic design. In 2020, Cruz was a featured director during the Guam International Film Festival for his short film We Drank Our Tears: Henry Indalecio’s Story through Mount Carmel School’s Theatre Club program. Throughout his high school career, Cruz has participated in various extra-curricular activities including ECO Club, Mock Trial, National Honor Society, Red Cross, TED-Ed, Theatre Club, and Vox Knights. In addition to his extensive involvement as a student leader, Cruz is also an honors student, having completed Advanced Placement, or AP, courses, which include AP U.S. History and AP Computer Science Principles. Cruz is currently set to graduate on June 4, 2022, and join the “AlumKnight” community. 

Cruz

Presently, Cruz has applied to Northern Marianas College, Seattle University, and the University of Washington. At this time, he is deciding between NMC and Seattle University in pursuit of a degree in nursing. As he prepares for college, Cruz has remained steadfast in his ambition to study nursing; it is his current intention to gain employment at the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. as a nurse after graduating with his college degree.

“During my sophomore year of high school I didn’t know what I wanted to pursue, but I knew I wanted to give back to my community,” Cruz said. “In the last two years, pursuing a degree in nursing became a clear calling for me because of this pandemic and I hope to join the amazing teams available in our healthcare system after earning my degree.”

As Cruz reflects on his experience at Mount Carmel School, he said “Looking back, it’s crazy to think about how I was supposed to leave MCS and graduate from MHS once I finished middle school here. But after my first two years, I was set on making MCS my home. Alongside the education that I gained from the academically challenging courses I took, I found myself throughout all my work in my extracurriculars. The past four years haven’t been easy, but they will always be worth it to me. I think this award really belongs to my family, friends, and teachers—without their tremendous love and support, I wouldn’t be the student I am today.”

Mount Carmel School’s acting president Frances Taimanao commends Cruz on this achievement and shares her own confidence in his continued success. “Larry has always been a student leader that our team can rely on and we are excited for the path he will choose to follow after graduation. Throughout his time here at MCS, Larry has been nothing short of hard-working, dedicated, honest, and resilient and I am certain that any institution he chooses after June will only gain with him as a student,” she said. (MCS)