Faces of GNBVT- Kol Lopes

Meet Kol Lopes, a senior in Engineering & Robotics at GNBVT. Kol is passionate about the skills he has learned in his career and technical area. In shop, he works on creating remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and enjoys the challenging hands-on aspect that challenges him to think in different ways. Kol intends on sending out college applications very early and finishing off his portfolio so he can go to college after high school and become a successful engineer. “In the future, I would prefer a more hands-on job so that I am always doing something new,” explains Kol. 

High school is a difficult time for everyone but one of the things that Kol has loved most about his high school experience is the connections he has made. “Good, consistent friends are hard to come by, but who I really mean are the teachers. Having someone who can actually give life advice from their own experience is better than trying to constantly rely on peers who have the same if not less experience than you do,” Kol explained.

 Some of the teachers that have made a lasting impact on him include Ms. Cziska and Mr. DeFreitas. Through their life experiences and mentorships, Kol learned that he does not have to decide what he wants to do for the rest of his life right now — he has been equipped with the skills he needs to change the course whenever he desires. 

One goal that Kol has for the remainder of this school year is he wants to become more involved here at school by going to more events and putting himself out there rather than holding himself back. Some major accomplishments Kol has worked hard for are receiving a bear award, getting on the honor roll, and being in an AP English class.

Outside of school, Kol is a hardworking student who juggles homework and a part-time job. Over the summer he worked six days a week at Sunrise Bakery but now that school has started again he works four days a week. Managing both work and school at the same time is a bit of a struggle for Kol but he uses time management skills to get his homework done as soon as possible so he does not fall behind. In his free time, Kol likes to listen to music. He also likes to go on small drives with the windows down, the wind in his hair makes him feel good and lets all the stress fall off of his shoulders. Kol also has been knitting for the last nine years, knows how to play piano, and is learning ASL. Overall Kol is an outstanding student here at Greater New Bedford Voc Tech and has a very promising future to become a fantastic engineer.

Article and Picture by: Mariah Horvitz, Senior Media Technology