Duvante’ Vegas, a senior at St. Joseph’s Catholic High School, is a young man who has studied and worked hard his whole school career, and is hoping it will pay off in his admission to an Ivy League university.
The well-spoken 17- year-old says he has applied to Stanford, Yale, Georgetown, Harvard, Notre Dame and the University of Chicago. Applying to Harvard came about as a promise to Stane Brajovic, his English and literature teacher, Vegas says.
He is ranked number one in his class. Certain subjects came naturally, while others have forced him to work hard.
"Language and the portrayal of words come naturally," Vegas says. "Numbers I had to put a lot of work in. I have studied hard not just for good grades but for the procurement of knowledge."
He doesn’t only excel in academics: He also has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and he’s a competitive swimmer and a thespian. And to top it all off, he is very polite, respectful and handsome.
His mom, Marylou Finch, would not allow him to take part in extra curricular activities if his grades weren’t good, Vegas says.
"My mom pushed me because she understands the value of a good education," he says.
His mom and grandparents exposed him to a number of activities to find out what he liked. At age 8 he got into and really enjoyed swimming and martial arts.
He began swimming with the Blue Marlins swim team, then it merged with the Dolphins team. He works for the Dolphins, teaching beginning swimming.
"It’s a joy to help kids learn a practical skill such as swimming," Vegas says. "In my own small way, I can give back to the institution and activity that made me who I am today."
He has competed annually in the local Battle at the Beach martial arts competition and was the youngest pugilist to compete in the Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC) in Cartagena, Colombia, in 2006. Martial arts help him balance the pressure of school and social life.
Vegas was greatly influenced while a student at St. Mary’s in Christiansted by his fourth-through-sixth-grade teacher, Helena Stevens.
"She was the first teacher I had push me to such an extent in terms of sacrifice for achievement and equanimity as a person," Vegas says. He was inducted in the National Junior Honor Society while at St. Mary’s.
He discovered acting and had a part as a knight in his first play at St. Mary’s.
"I now have an affinity for acting," Vegas says. "I have been an actor, choreographer and playwriter in St. Joe’s productions."
He has performed in "Beowulf," "Canterbury Tales" and "Breakfast for Your Mind."
He is a member of the National Honor Society and served as the society’s president in 2008. He is also the senior class president. He plays varsity soccer. In 2008 he took part in the Junior Statesmen of America program at Stanford. Even with all his extracurricular activities, Vegas maintains a 4.033 grade-point average.
"Duvante’ works constantly to improve himself," says Clint Ferris, guidance counselor at St. Joe’s. "He is driven, focused and he is going places."
He is undecided about what career he wants. He spent a year volunteering for orthopedic surgeon Dr. Walter Pedersen to see if he wanted to be a doctor.
"The possibilities include law, dentistry and acting," Vegas says.
To help pay for the high tuition at the universities to which he has applied, he is hoping to get scholarships through the Quest Bridge National College Match and Gates Millennium scholarships.
He doesn’t know whether he will return to St. Croix after completing his university studies.
"I haven’t looked that far into the future," Vegas says. "All I know is I want to help people."
