2 days ago
Lawrence valedictorian and athlete credits the Boys and Girls Club for his success
This week's BZ MVP of the Week is the brother of an MVP from last year and like him, he credits the Boys and Girls Club in Lawrence, Massachusetts for his success.
Argenis Luciano has always followed in the footsteps of his brother, Obbie. When he was 7 years old, he followed him to the Lawrence Boys and Girls Club.
Class of 2025's valedictorian
"He was my inspiration. I've always seen him doing his thing on the basketball court," said Luciano. "And that led me to try basketball and then to go on to be in the Homework Room a lot and that's where I met Jonathan Glesmann."
Luciano said the Homework Room is what made him who he is.
"The constant focus on homework and education is in this room," said Glesmann, a volunteer at the Boys and Girls Club. "Us volunteers, we stress that too. We hold education on a very high level. And it'll solve a lot of problems, not only personally, but in the world."
Luciano's education path led him to become valedictorian of Lawrence High School's Class of 2025.
"It was a lot of hardship and a lot of sacrifice that I had to make. But with my great support system, I was able to go through with it," said Luciano. When he was asked what made him get better with academics, he said, "Failing. I learned that failure is a step to grow."
Luciano said his inspiration is his family, brothers Obbie and Delvis Roman and his sister Clairis. His father Nairobert owns a barbershop and his mother Rosa works two jobs.
"Seeing my mom struggle with bills, you know, there's just financial pressures that are overwhelming on her," said Luciano. "So I try to help out as much as I can. They mean everything to me. I mean, that's my family. I love them. So everything I do is in honor of them."
Heading to Brown on track and field scholarship
Luciano is on the track and field team, where he throws discus. Last week, he captured the Division I State Championship at Tufts University. Quite a feat considering he didn't pick up a discus until his freshman year, at the urging of his health teacher.
"It's about discipline, it's about repetition, it's about being coachable," said Lawrence High School teacher and throwing coach Angel Pabon. "And he's very coachable and he listens very well." When asked how far he thinks Luciano can go in life, Pabon said, "I don't think there's a limit for him."
"His leadership ability is second to none. He's been incredible in bringing along our younger athletes," said Lawrence High School track and field head coach Jonathan Manuel Speing. "And just, as a competitor, I've never met anybody more competitive than him."
Luciano has also been named the Lawrence Boys and Girls Club's Youth of the Year. After watching his brother Obbie earn a scholarship to Yale University last year, he will be heading to Brown University in the fall on a track and field scholarship.
"They are such great role models for the rest of the kids here at the club, right?" said Markus Fischer, the executive director of the Lawrence Boys and Girls Club. "It shows them that this can be done. If you're applying yourself, you're working hard, staying focused. You can accomplish things."
