Gene Sears

Cesar Balderrama takes his work seriously, and it shows.
    Valedictorian for Fort Lupton High School’s class of 2012, Balderrama’s grade point average is a stellar 4.196.
    As a product of the Weld RE-8 school district, he attended kindergarten at Twombly Elementary, moving to Butler Elementary before attending Fort Lupton Middle School.
    Focusing heavily on academics in high school, Balderrama says he favors mathematics.
    “It’s something I like,” Balderramma said. “I like the challenge, and I like to figure things out. Math has always been that for me.
    Parlaying that challenge into a career is on the forefront, now that college beckons.
    “I’m looking at perhaps a career in accounting,” Balderrama said.  “D.U. has a five-year program in which you get your bachelors and master’s. They have a very high job placement rate in that program.”
    Balderrama’s record helped him land scholarship monies, which, along with some grant funding, should help pay a fair portion of his educational costs. He plans to start in the fall.
    He credits his older brother Raoul Balderrama, FLHS class of 2008, as key to his success.
    “He’s the one who got me into college preparatory programs, he’s the one that told me you have to focus on your studies, because that is the only thing that you have coming from a low-income household. That’s what’s going to get you out of here.”
    It’s a lesson that Balderrama takes to heart, from someone close to his heart.
    “In his life, he made mistakes, and he is making sure I don’t make those same mistakes,” Balderrama said. “He’s my mentor.”

Contact Staff Writer Gene Sears at gsears@metrowestnewspapers.com