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Valley Stream, NEW YORK (February, 2022) — Valley Stream Central High School senior and star swimmer Juancarlos Castrillon has received a full athletic scholarship from Duke University, and will attend the prestigious school in the fall.
Juancarlos has been hitting the pool for the past nine years. His successful athletic career began with a series of simple swimming lessons, and morphed into daily practices at Eisenhower Park, and weekly and monthly meets, but despite the challenges and sacrifices he has made for the sport, he said it has been worth it.
“Getting to where I am now has definitely been a struggle,” Juancarlos said. “Practicing every day, being sore on the weekends, missing parties, hangouts and birthdays for practice or meets; it’s been a commitment, but if you can keep going and beat the mental and the physical aspect of it you can really do anything you want.”
In addition to his family, Juancarlos thanked his teachers at Central for their support accommodating his hectic schedule and helping him maintain his grades.
“Academically he’s amazing,” said Samantha Cipriano, Juancarlos’ counselor at Central. “He works so hard at his swimming, and despite being exhausted all the time, he’s still completing his work, he’s still living up to his expectations. He deserves this.”
“He’s a fine young man and Central’s very proud of him,” said Central High School Principal Dr. Joseph Pompilio. “He’s quite the representative of our student body, and he demonstrates all of the virtues that we preach, and the expectations we have both academically and sports wise.”
While Juancarlos said he has aspirations to join a world team and potentially compete in the Olympics, he said that right now he is focused on the current season, and is looking forward to competing in the NCAA next year. Additionally, he wants to use his scholarship enter the premed track, and eventually study neurology.
“This is something he truly wanted,” his mother, Maribel, said. “He realized it wasn’t just swimming, he really wants to do something bigger, and that’s something he’ll be able to accomplish at Duke.”
“I’m very proud of him. I’ll always support him, and I know he’s going to do great,” his father, Juancarlos, said, adding of Central. “It’s a great school.”
For more information about the Valley Stream Central High School District, please visit the District’s website at https://www.vschsd.org/, and like our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ValleyStreamCentralHighSchoolDistrict
Date Added: 3/4/2022