(Fall 2023) – Saúl Morales, a current SMART Scholar and eighth grader at The Nueva School, is looking to his future as a college graduate. In September, Saúl was one of 43 students selected from more than 800 7th grade applicants nationwide to receive the Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars award this year.
The Cooke Young Scholars Program selects high-performing students with financial needs. It supports them with academic and college advising, financial support, Cooke-sponsored summer programs, internships, and other learning enrichment opportunities.
Saúl was born in San Diego before spending part of his childhood in Mexico. In 2015, Saúl’s mother moved their family to San Francisco. Saúl joined SMART just as the pandemic broke out in 2020 and participated in SMART’s Summer Academic Enrichment Program.
In elementary school, Saúl became interested in computer science: “We were introduced to a basic coding program where you can create games or animations, and I really fell in love with it.” Since that first exposure to programming, Saúl has created his own games and animations. His favorite creation so far is a game where “you can use arrow keys to move around, you have to dodge obstacles, go through mazes, and then there’s a big boss at the end that you have to fight.”
However, Saúl is also interested in exploring the full range of coding applications: “I’ve had a few data science classes at my school, and that seems interesting. Like mapping a bunch of data about pretty much anything.” He appreciates the problem-solving in math and coding, “I think math is fun—when I can finally understand something after a bunch of trial and error.”
As part of the Nueva curriculum, every student chooses a year-long project to focus on. Saúl has chosen to learn a new coding language: “I chose JavaScript. I’m going to spend the year studying it and learning how to apply it to create games and other things like that.”
Beyond computer science, Saúl is also interested in sports. He played flag football for Nueva, which went 4-3 against other middle schools in league competition. Now, he’s gearing up to play on the middle school varsity basketball squad against other schools. He credits his mom for encouraging him to try out for the teams and supporting his interest in sports.
As a Jack Kent Cooke scholar, Saúl is most excited for the opportunity to do more extracurriculars—he’s interested in piano lessons and basketball—and to meet other scholars during Foundation events. The award also “helps my family with funds so we can worry about other things, since school is already covered.” Looking toward the future, Saúl is excited to pursue his many interests: “I think to myself – just invest in your goals, so you have a good future later on.”
At SMART, Saúl enjoys the balance between seeing friends, homework time, and Scholar workshops. He said he enjoys the activities, “like making and doing projects about emotions or your learning style. I really enjoy collaborative work, making a presentation with someone else, and then showing it to other people.” These projects have increased his confidence at school, too. “It gives me a confidence boost for presentations, not to stutter, and be more confident in myself when sharing.”
Saúl has formed a tight connection with his SMART peers. “We’ve had classes and advisory together, and they’ve helped and supported me through all three years of middle school. When I’m stressed out about something, they help me calm down and to have fun.”
Outside of his friends, he finds support and community with his family, especially his mom: “She’s always there to help me, and she always supports us in our wellbeing,” in addition to inspiring Saúl to stay resilient.
As for his future goals, Saúl is eager to pursue computer science, politics, and music: “I see myself mixing those interests together and doing what I enjoy.”
