Roger Gardner
Roger Gardner comes from a family of engineers. Both his mother and grandfather were engineers, and when this Highlands High School Class of 2020 valedictorian graduates, he also plans to study engineering at The University of Texas at San Antonio.
“I really like to make stuff,” he said. “I want to study mechanical engineering because it is broad. I have sketches of stuff I will eventually make – like a steam engine, just for fun. I love trains. Growing up, I have always loved trains. Moving to San Antonio, you see a lot of these big diesel engines and I think, ‘Woah, I wanna ride that! I wanna make one!’”
Roger is a member of the Engineering STEM Magnet Program at Highlands and in addition to taking five AP classes, he is part of the ACE Mentor program. The after-school club brings in mentors from the community to talk to students about architecture, construction and engineering.
“Through his participation in the Engineering STEM Magnet Program, Roger has shown his dedication to his future career in STEM,” said Michelle Garcia, coordinator of the Engineering Institute at Highlands. "He is one of the most curious students I’ve come across, showing enthusiasm in classes and even taking on an independent project senior year to learn Python programming language and machine learning just because it seemed interesting.”
In addition to his passion for engineering and outstanding academic record, Roger is a member of the National Honor Society, band, marching band, and jazz band. He has been playing the trombone since sixth-grade and now leads the trombone section at Highlands. Many of his fondest memories of high school stem from his participating in band.
“One of my best high school memories was having to show up to school at 4:30 a.m. and seeing the sunrise,” he recalled. “ We were going to area competition and trying to squeeze in one last run-through in. I have never seen such a nice sunrise. It was a really good moment. I will always remember that from marching season.”
Roger moved to San Antonio from Japan when he was 5 years old. Now, a true Texan at heart, he can’t imagine living anywhere else.
“Japan has so much light pollution so when I first moved here, I would just look up at the stars and woah, that was beautiful,” he said. “I love this state. Sometimes my dad will take us out to state parks like Lost Maples. The hills, the grass and cows you see; you don’t see cows and horses in Japan. It’s like, I never knew a cow was that big! The endless plains are really nice; Texas is so big – I love it!”
Garcia says that she is sure Roger will succeed in the next phase of his education, and life.
“Roger is that rare student who improves the energy of an entire room just with his cheerful presence,” she said. “His leadership skills and impact on our community are clear, and we will miss him next year but look forward to seeing him succeed in his next adventure."