PUERTO RICO HERALD: Heritage Maintains Grip

'[Danny's] such a hard worker. In the weight room,
he'd keep working on his lifts because he never was
satisfied. He's the first kid I've ever had like that --
a concert pianist, Mr. Academic and a state champion.'

There wasn't much Daniel Moctezuma didn't do during his four years at Winter Springs High School. In nearly every activity he tried, he excelled.

He graduated this spring with the highest grade point average possible -- a 4.4 -- and won an outstanding-student award for his contributions to the school. He played in the school band and is skilled in piano and French horn. He was a member of the varsity soccer team and a state champion in weightlifting.

Moctezuma is fluent in Spanish and English, thanks to his parents' emphasis on the importance of celebrating his heritage while excelling in an English-speaking environment.

"My heritage is very important to me," Moctezuma said. "My parents did a great job stressing that."

Moctezuma's parents and an older brother were born in Puerto Rico and moved to the mainland United States before he was born. His father accepted a job at NASA as a civil engineer, which brought the family to Central Florida.

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Versatile.

(PHOTO: DENNIS WALL/ORLANDO SENTINEL)

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The family maintains close ties to Puerto Rico, returning to visit family members almost yearly. His mother is from San Lorenzo and his father is from Guaynabo.

"We still love Puerto Rico," Moctezuma said. "Life down there is much humbler. There's not as much of a worry to get things done, and not as much competition between others."

Moctezuma loves everything about the island, from its culture to its simpler pace of life to its natural resources -- the beaches, mountains and rain forests. His family has plans to return to celebrate the Christmas holidays there with family.

At Winter Springs High, Moctezuma fulfilled a four-year dream of winning a state weightlifting title this season when he won the Class 2A championship in the 119-pound class after lifting a total of 435 pounds in two events.

To qualify for the state tournament, the athlete must lift a qualifying total during a regular-season meet. He didn't make it his first two years but qualified as a junior.

Moctezuma, who took a weightlifting class in his freshman year, had never thought of competing until Coach Reddy Cox suggested he give it a try.

"Danny is such a good kid," Cox said. "He's such a hard worker. In the weight room, he'd keep working on his lifts because he never was satisfied. He's the first kid I've ever had like that -- a concert pianist, Mr. Academic and a state champion."

With his grade point average, Moctezuma had no problem getting into the college of his choice. He was interested in Princeton and received a partial scholarship but chose to attend the University of Miami to major in music engineering technology, with a minor in electrical engineering.

Moctezuma had positive impressions of Princeton after a visit to New Jersey but liked how Miami's program allowed him to combine his interests in music and the physical sciences. He will enter Miami as a sophomore because he earned so many college credits through advanced-placement courses.

"Miami has more of a Hispanic culture -- it reminds me of Puerto Rico," he said.

Orlando Sentinel

Heritage Maintains Grip

by Shannon Shelton