Karina Ortega
Myself Third Spirit of New York 2002 Scholarship Winner
Newcomers High School
LaGuardia Community College
"When I think of Karina Ortega, two concepts come to mind: a heart of gold combined with the wisdom of a sage.… Karina excels academically and stands in the top of her class.… Yet, beyond her studies, she is involved in many extra-curricular activities and within these she exerts a leadership role. Notable amongst her accomplishments is the writing she did on a grant for the school to be able to teach students about HIV/AIDS.… She is a pleasure to converse with and can talk about any subject with a maturity beyond her years."
—Anne Kafeld
Work, Volunteer, and Extra-Curricular Activities
- B.A.S.E. Grant Project
- Council for Unity
- Facing History and Ourselves
- Drama Club
- Club
Excerpts from Karina's Essay
Throughout my high school years I've discovered that our society needs people with the capacity to accept responsibility, to take action, and to promote harmony among all the members of our communities.… At this point in my life, I can declare with certainty that every single thing we do to improve our society can make a difference.… Civic responsibility has to do with creating awareness of the many roles we, as individuals, play in our society and the importance of those roles, and not being afraid to take risks when it comes to the betterment of society.
…The Council for Unity is a program designed to teach people to appreciate the richness that diversity brings to our nation. As a member of the Council for Unity, I've worked in projects designed to promote racial harmony, unity, and an appreciation of differences between people.… The reason why I'm so passionate about being a peer trainer is because I believe that each one of us has the responsibility to empower other people to recognize that there are, at least, two sides to every story — that there are options to violence — that every life is precious and valuable.…
Through the many activities I've been involved with as a member of the different leadership groups in my school, I've come to believe that there's much more that I can do to create social awareness and responsibility among the people in our society. It is this involvement that has influenced me to become not only a psychologist, but also a teacher.…
