By Cristina Kumka
Staff Writer | June 17 2008

Englewood — The 2008 class at the Academies@Englewood may be across the high school campus but the distance doesn’t amount to a shortage of academic talent or excellence.

Edgar Roque, this year’s valedictorian, credits his school for making him who he is today and who he hopes to become, an electrical engineer with diverse experiences that prepared him for success in the real world.

Here is his story:

Edgar Roque went down the long list of courses he’s taken so far – from advanced physics and comparative government to world literature and visual media.

The articulate 18-year-old Bergenfield resident says he credits the Academies@Englewood with all his successes, from the academic achievement of a 3.93 grade point average to becoming captain of the golf and waffle ball teams.

He may never have been able to do it all in his hometown.

"I had good grades coming in but the Academies has many more rigorous courses and teachers pushed me to become who I am today," he said.

"The Academies@Englewood has been my two way avenue for my ideas and intellectual interests, but I have learned far beyond the scope of any classroom. My experiences here have made me a better person by showing me that life was not about having all the answers, but about reaching even beyond my own assumptions and pursuing dreams I never even knew I had."

Roque, as part of the Information Systems Academy, took a hands-on internship with an information technology company in Englewood Cliffs and his courses prepared him to hold his own with people there who already achieved his dream of one day being a electrical or computer engineer.

But the most lasting memories Roque will take with him happened outside of the curriculum.

He recalled a fun field trip and students of many different races he went to school with — which taught him that being successful in college and in business meant accepting all people.

And, "through these four years, I have grown to realize that struggle is only a minor setback," Roque said.

Roque was accepted in Cornell University where he will be attending in the Fall. The school was his first choice and top pick.