Americas High School senior Cosette Ruiz never hesitates to seize opportunities to learn and grow. Instead, Cosette embraces them wholeheartedly, as she did when she discovered coding at Loma Verde Elementary School. She was fascinated with how she could program robots to move and come alive in their unique way.
"I've always loved coding," said Cosette, who graduated with an associate degree from El Paso Community College in May. "I was first introduced to it in my elementary robotics team, and ever since I found out that you could make a robot do something, I was like, that's pretty cool."
Coding enabled Cosette to express her imagination by exploring new ideas and experimenting with different solutions.
Since her freshman year at Americas, Cosette has been developing new code to enhance the design of a medication dispenser she created to improve medication adherence among older adults. For the past three years, iterations of her device have consistently captured the top prize in the engineering division at the Socorro Independent School District’s high school science fairs. Furthermore, her project competed at the International Science and Engineering Fair during her freshman year.
In recognition of her outstanding accomplishments, Cosette was selected to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at the Socorro ISD Board of Trustees regular meeting in July.
As an aspiring computer science engineer, Cosette has been committed to obtaining the best possible education to achieve her dream.
For Cosette, this has meant becoming a well-rounded student by seizing a variety of opportunities at SISD. They include attending Trailblazer Early College High School, studying world affairs at Libertas Academy and competing in UIL’s Ready Writing Contest. This fall, Cosette will serve as president of Americas High School’s robotics club. She also plans to compete in next year’s high school science fair. Additionally, Cosette participated in the prestigious NASA Texas High School Aerospace Scholars Program, which enabled her to expand her interests in engineering and STEM.
Cosette was one of six Trailblazers selected for the five-month online NASA program that focused on space exploration, earth science, technology, and aeronautics. In June, she participated in a virtual summer program with students from across Texas. Their goal was to design a spacecraft for a mission to Mars.
“These opportunities are all here for us,” Cosette said. "Every time I see that there's an opportunity, I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’ll do it.’ As long as I'm smart with my time, and I'm making sure I'm staying on top of things, I don't see why I would prevent myself from doing something.”
Cosette’s mom, Azuri Gonzalez, Ed.D., attended SISD schools, and said she was impressed with the district’s innovation over the years, such as the introduction of early college high school. Gonzalez said these opportunities have enabled her daughter to become a more well-rounded individual, excelling in different areas and establishing a strong foundation for her future.
“Coming from higher education, I know how valuable it is for these students to be able to speak about the strengths from a variety of perspectives, not just ‘This is what I'm good at,’” said Gonzalez, who has worked at the University of Texas at El Paso for more than 20 years. “So, to me, it's exciting. I do think Cosette deserves a lot of credit, but I do think there's a lot of appreciation to go around for all the teachers that have made her successful.”
Cosette said that her teachers, including her former social studies teacher, Esther Portillo, played a significant role in her success through their guidance and belief in her ability to reach her goals.
Portillo has known Cosette for three years and described her as an inspiration.
“We know that she's going do so much more than what she dreams for,” Portillo said. “We believe in her so much. I know that she's going to achieve everything that she's seeking.”
Cosette said she has been preparing for college all her life, first by earning an associate degree in multidisciplinary studies for free through Trailblazer Early College and then taking classes at UTEP her senior year, starting with a calculus class this summer. She aims to earn her bachelor's degree in two years and then pursue a master's degree followed by a doctorate.
Cosette also hopes to set a great example for her brother, Antonio Lazcano, who will be starting eighth grade at John Drugan School this fall.
“(High school) is definitely a stepping stone, but it's also brought a lot of different memories and opportunities, and so I feel like I've had the chance to learn about a lot of different things, and this is my time to explore,” said Cosette, who is on track to graduate in the top 10% of her class next year. “I'm just really excited for what the future holds.”