Daniela Castro and Lester-Jedric S. Flores, two seniors at Marysville Getchell High School, are the Soroptimist-Kiwanis Students of the Month for December.

Daniela was born in Mexico, but has been in the U.S. since she was 6 months old. She was just accepted by Seattle Pacific University to attend college there. She will be the first one ever in her family to attend college.

SPU was her first choice because it’s a Christian campus with a strong science program. She’s not sure what she wants to do, but she’s thinking of an ultrasound technician.

Daniela said she owes her academic success to AVID, or Advancement Via Individual Determination. Study skills she learned there helped her. She’s even been able to take Advanced Placement classes in subjects like biology, literature and history.

She said AVID has helped her in two specific ways. “I was a horrible public speaker,” she said. “And if I start something I finish it.”

Daniela has done a lot of volunteer work. She’s shown the most compassion for homeless in Seattle and Everett, giving out care packages. She said she has empathy for them because, “I’ve had nothing.”

Other community service includes: Big Buddy program at Sunnyside elementary, church soup kitchen, serving homeless breakfast in Seattle on Christmas morning, and more. She’s been Spanish Club president, AVID vice president, Associated Student Body member, Key Club member, and has played tennis, along with intramurals.

Much of Lester’s high school years have been spent excelling in the Navy JROTC program. He has been a battalion commanding officer, operations officer and drill commander. With the Sea Cadets he has been a division chief petty officer, cadet drill instructor and staff cadet. He’s won too many awards to mention in NJRTOC. He wants to attend the Naval Academy.

Other than that he also has been senior class president and on the National Honor Society. He has been on the cross country and track teams, in the engineering club, and taken AP language and composition, literature and calculus, all while achieving a perfect 4.0 grade point average.

For community service, he volunteers with the Naval Station Everett-Smokey Point Chapel, American Cancer Society Relay for Life, Special Olympics, Color Guard, blood donor, Marysville Community Food Bank and Marysville Sno-Isle Library.

He said he likes being at the food bank because he listens to the stories of the people there and their words of wisdom. He said he likes serving others because, “It calms me down.”

He likes to sing, dance, cook and garden. He comes from a musical family, and he’s in his church choir.

Lester said he likes helping others so it’s hard for him to lose friends who choose a different path. He said his grandma, who only recently passed away, inspired him to be selfless.

“I want to better the environment we live in,” he said. “With terrorism and technology the future scares me. I want us to be at peace.”