/Portals/2/logos/__TFMF_uajfmb45q4jio1mfzrgy3pzl_5bd57145-f9e1-4803-9c0d-fa6b07c10a1e_0___Selected.jpg en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Wed, 22 May 2013 13:35:47 GMT 15 By Judith Garcia
Unlike many college students who sleep after long nights of partying, Joel wakes up each weekend morning at six to get ready for another day at the firm. He can be seen running around answering the phone, translating for clients, preparing agendas for the day, or simply pouring soothing cups of coffee for colleagues bracing for a long day of work. At the age of eighteen Joel Flores works as a part-time employee in Denner Pellegrino LLP, one of Boston’s most prestigious criminal and civil trial law firms. Everyday appears to be a new adventure for the UMass Boston freshman. “There’s something different everyday,” explained Flores with a sense of strong pride. That pride wasn’t always there. Finding it was the result of a life altering experience for Flores. On July 10, 2006, huge chunks of concrete from the Big Dig tunnel fell down on his uncle’s car killing his aunt, Milena Del Valle. At the time, Flores, a Summer Search student, was getting ready to come back home from a challenging wilderness trip in Colorado. He found himself confronted by a more difficult challenge, the death of his aunt, who was also a close friend. “It was a life-changing event,” said Flores, an event that in the long run led to his actual success. Starting out as a young adolescent from Puerto Rico, Flores had not envisioned any academic success in his future. He lived only for what he saw as the pleasures of life – drinking, smoking, and “chilling with friends,” the usual good time. It wasn’t until his sophomore year that the Summer Search Foundation took a chance on Flores by providing him year-round mentoring, life-changing summer experiences, and college advising in order to help him change his poor habits. Flores’s first Summer Search trip opened his eyes. Whereas most summers he would be using a T schedule to guide him to and from the violent streets of his Dorchester home, in Colorado’s high Rockies Flores was learning how to use a “topo” map to navigate between snow-covered passes. Without the distraction of cell phones and iPods forbidden in the mountains, Flores was able to fully enjoy the calm, quiet and beautiful landscape. At the end of his program Flores excitedly turned on his cell phone to call home and found he had thirty voicemails waiting for him. They all basically said one thing – his aunt, Milena Del Valle, was dead. Flores was devastated. On his flight back Flores said the same message kept going through his thoughts, he said. “I felt, ‘I have to do something, I have to make something out of myself… I got to do something for myself, for my family, but also for my aunt.’” Flores knew that there was nothing he could do with the legal aspect of his aunt’s death. However, he knew that he could start small and move on from there. “I realized that life is too short – you can just die any moment,” he said. “Why do I want to die accomplishing nothing in life?” Flores returned to school with a change of goals. He began to improve his grades, get involved in extracurricular activities, and play sports. By the end of his senior year he knew where he wanted to go and what he wanted to do. He wanted to attend college, and become a lawyer. On June 9, 2008 Joel Flores graduated as President of the Class of 2008 from TechBoston Academy with an acceptance to UMass Boston. Flores also continues to expound the values of the Summer Search foundation by serving as an ambassador. “I want to help others,” said Flores, glancing upward, “She’s looking at me from the sky and leading me to the right path.” ]]> Tue, 03 Feb 2009 13:51:34 GMT