Jan. 27, 2008 — Michael Santos has never been a straight-A student, but he does manage to make all A's and B's and qualify for honor societies while playing music, tutoring and getting ready for college.
The native Crucian is a senior at St. Croix Educational Complex High School. The school's guidance counselor, Francis Cools-Lartique, has known him for more than three years, describes him in glowing terms. He and his coworkers didn't hesitate in singling Santos out as a stellar student.
"Michael is a very focused hard worker," Cools-Lartique said. "He is an individual who sets goals and works to achieve them."
Santos, a tall, husky young man with close-cropped hair, spoke softly during a recent interview at Complex. He likes to describe himself as cool, calm and collected. He exudes confidence without appearing cocky.
"I have never had all A's, but I have never had a C," he says. While he has had rough times in some subjects, he has learned how to overcome those obstalces. You can't let problems bring you down, he says: You take care of the problem and move forward.
His parents are Lizette Santos and Miguel Santos Jr. He has two younger sisters. His grade-school days were spent at Lew Muckle Elementary in Estate Sion Farm. Elementary school is where he found his love of math and numbers. Even math was fun, Santos says.
There is one teacher from those early years who stands out in the minds of Santos and his mother.
"My fifth-grade math teacher, Mr. McGhee, was a big influence on me," Santos says. "He noticed I did well in math and encouraged me to study and excel."
Lizette Santos says she still sees McGhee and he tells her, "I told you he has potential and is going to be somebody."
In comparison to a lot of other boys, Santos is unusual in that he does so well in school, his mother says.
"He has very good study habits that he learned at a young age," she says. "I never had to push him or remind him to do homework."
The transition to junior high came easy to Santos. Meeting new students from Christiansted and making new friends wasn't any problem at all, he says. Some of the friends he made at that time are still his friends.
"Michael is very friendly and knows how to get along well with his peers," Cools-Lartique said.
The senior is proud of his accomplishments when he was at Elena Christian Jr. High. He was chosen to be in National Junior Honor Society and became the eighth grade class salutatorian. His math and science teachers there were an inspiration, and they helped him to learn how to set goals and attain them, Santos says.
With a solid background in the lower grades provided by teachers and his family, Santos has continued to make goals and reach them throughout high school. He doesn't know for sure, but he thinks his class ranking could be fairly high even after taking AP calculus. His favorite classes are still the ones involving numbers, such as physics.
"He is a very tenacious young man, always striving for the best," says Joann Lewis, his biology teacher at Complex.
Santos got inducted into the National Honor Society his sophomore year. NHS membership shows he has commitment to a group, which he believes will help him get scholarships,.
Outside the classroom, Santos plays in the Rising Stars Youth Steel Orchestra, practicing two days a week. He really enjoys playing double second pan, which he has done for more than two years.
He has spent his summers constructively the past couple of years. In 2006, he volunteered at the Village-V.I. Partners in Recovery, tutoring people in math and science, which eventually led to a paid position. Last summer, the University of the Virgin Islands sponsored a trip for him to go to Michigan Tech for an engineering seminar.
In his free time Santos likes to hang out with friends and family. Lizette Santos says Michael is very particular about who he hangs around with. Like most boys, he enjoys playing video games. He also likes swimming and spending time at the beach.
"Right now I'm spending a lot of time on the Internet applying for scholarships and college," Santos says.
When asked about the problems youth on St. Croix encounter, he says he thinks it stems from them not being pushed enough to succeed and not making enough effort.
"Thanks to my family and teachers, I had a good background and inspiration to do well," Santos says. "I was lucky to not have any bad influences from my friends."
The plans for his future are to attend college and become an engineer, either electrical or mechanical. Going to a college close to family on the mainland would be nice, but it all depends on which school offers him the most in grants and scholarships, Santos says. He hopes to graduate from college debt-free.
"I don't want any debt early in life," Santos says. He has applied to Georgia Tech, MIT, North Carolina State and the Florida Institute of Technology. Making money is secondary to him, he says; he just wants a job he loves going to every day.
"I'm very fortunate Michael never gave me any problems," Lizette Santos says. "I'm his mother. What can I say, other than I'm proud of him?"
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