Jennifer Cuadra doesn’t have to look far for the hero in her life. The member of the class of 2021 at Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington, D.C., said she is inspired by the life and the example of her mom, Teresa, an immigrant from El Salvador.

“I admire everything she does. Being a single mother is not an easy job, especially with three kids,” said Cuadra. Her brother Steven is an eighth grader and will be graduating from Sacred Heart School in Washington, which she also attended, and her other brother, Angel, is a fifth grader there.

Cuadra, a top-ranked student at Archbishop Carroll, added that her mother “is the reason why I do what I do, to give her a better future, to give her back what she gave me and my brothers.”

Her family has experienced challenges over the years, including during the pandemic, when their mother lost her job in a restaurant. In recent months, Cuadra has been working as a cashier at Panera, helping to support their family. Over the years as her mother worked, Cuadra helped as much as she could at home, including picking up her brothers after school and helping them with their homework.

“She (my mom) has taught me strength and courage, (that) if I have a dream, if I have a goal, to chase it. It could be a rollercoaster there, but to always hold on. She’s taught me the sense of being a caretaker, someone who loves,” Cuadra said.

Their family attends the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Washington, and Cuadra said her mother’s faith has guided their lives.

“Whenever there’s a conflict, emotionally or physically, we always turn to God,” she said. “My favorite line is, ‘God always has a purpose.’ That means we were born to have a purpose. You might not know where to go or what’s next, but God has put you on that path in which there’s meaning behind it.”

Along the way, some of the most important lessons in the Archbishop Carroll senior’s life have happened outside the classroom, including at her parish, Sacred Heart. “I love how they help without hesitation,” said Cuadra, who has helped out at the church giving out food to the homeless, and has also tutored students at Sacred Heart School and at Archbishop Carroll in a variety of subjects.

“I really like helping out, being that lending hand, having that image of God in me, and helping people be more understanding,” she said.

Cuadra praised the community spirit at Archbishop Carroll and the bonds formed among teachers and students there. “I had gone through a rough patch, a rough time, my sophomore year at Carroll. The school was there for me,” she said, remembering a challenging time for her family.

At Carroll, Cuadra has served as a peer minister, helping out at school Masses. “I liked lecturing and being there whenever I was needed,” she said.

One of her favorite activities there has been helping out at Archbishop Carroll’s Thanksgiving Food Drive.

“Carroll has taught me how to help out my community,” she said, adding that her favorite part of the food drive “was when families came to pick up their food, because I have been through rough situations like that, so when I feel like I’m helping or giving to a family in need, it feels good in my heart.”

When asked about her favorite class at Archbishop Carroll, Cuadra said, “I enjoyed every class.” 

When the coronavirus pandemic caused a pivot to online learning in the spring of 2020, Cuadra said, “I had to adapt to that environment. I had to figure out new ways to study and focus… That’s how I got through my senior year.”

Living and learning during the pandemic taught her “anything can happen in the world unexpectedly, but you always have to learn to adapt,” she said.

At Carroll, Cuadra was a captain on the Latin Dance Team that earned a first place in bachata dancing and a third place in salsa dancing at the World Latin Dance Cup in Colombia in 2019. She praised the team members’ dedication and passion.

This fall, Cuadra will attend Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland on a Presidential Scholarship, and plans to major in biology there on a pre-med track. 

Her dream of becoming a doctor someday has been shaped by her life’s experiences, “just that need of helping someone out. Although I might not change the world, I’m at least changing the world for that one person I’m helping out,” she said.

As her May 27 graduation at Archbishop Carroll High School approached, Cuadra said, “I’m excited, but I’m also nervous, taking another step in life.”

And Cuadra said when she sees her mom that day, she’ll be thinking, “I did it for you.”