For many students, high school is a time filled with pressure about grades, future careers, and figuring out who they want to become. But for one student, life is less about having every answer planned out and more about learning how to grow through every experience that comes her way.
Itzel Dominguez, a sophomore at Arlington High school is a strong woman who preserves through everything life throws at her. She finds out what is important and gets it done with a smile and in style. Although she is dedicated to Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, she still finds time to keep her outstanding grade point average while being stress free.
“I prioritize grades first before JROTC.. I love JROTC, but at the same time, I got to have that balance,” Itzel Dominguez (’28) said.
That balance has become one of the biggest themes in her life. Between academics, extracurricular activities, and thinking about her future, she has learned that discipline is not just about working hard but about understanding what matters most in each moment. While many students struggle to balance school work with outside commitments, she manages to stay calm and provide the same amount of attention to everything she does.
Her dedication to staying focused in school while still committing herself to JROTC reflects the maturity she carries into her everyday life. What motivates her to keep trying isn’t popularity but the future she hopes to build for herself.
“My goal’s set for my future. That’s what kind of motivates me because I see that bright and good outcome of high school,” Dominguez said.
She spoke about wanting to use the skills she learns now later in life. Whether that be leadership, confidence, or becoming more independent. She sees high school as something larger than classes and assignments. To her, every experience is helping shape the person she hopes to become someday.
Unlike many teenagers who feel pressured to have every detail of life figured out, she speaks honestly about wanting stability and happiness more than perfection. She mentioned considering the military as part of her future because of the structure and opportunities it could provide.
Still, beyond careers or achievements, what matters most to her is feeling mentally strong and prepared for whatever life throws at her next. Part of her strong perspective comes from her childhood experiences growing up in Smokey Point.
“I went to different schools, different friends. It has shaped me to where I’m more opened minded… It was a very diverse area,” Dominguez said.
Moving between schools and constantly meeting new people helped her develop an ability to connect with others easily. Instead of becoming closed off from change, she embraces it. The willingness to embrace this growth is something her friends notice immediately. One friend described her as someone impossible to miss in a crowd.
“She can find the good in everything. So even when bad things happen or there’s just a very, very hard time, he finds a way to be happy and to joke around” Jeshua Salazar Zarate (’27) said.
Her positivity is what stands out the most. Although she has a lot on her plate she still manages to stay positive through the tough times and lift people up when needed. She constantly moves forward with optimism. Instead of obsessing over every unknown detail, she believes in letting life unfold naturally.
For Dominguez, high school isn’t only about preparing for adulthood. It’s about learning balance, embracing changes, finding happiness in difficult moments, and becoming comfortable with the flow of life. In a world, where many students feel pressured to be perfect, Dominguez mindset may be one of her greatest strengths of all. She is definitely a great role model for teens her age.
“You can’t control everything that happens to you. You just kind of have to relax and just let…life go and just at its own pace. You don’t have to really worry about it much,” Dominguez said.