RAD GRADS At the top of his class
Hinkle
Angelo Hinkle should never be underestimated.
The Venture Academy senior is a young man with the drive and ambition to succeed in life. Considering the chaos and storms in his home life, Angelo found Venture Academy as a safe harbor.
“I loved school,” Angelo said. “Those seven or eight hours out of the day, it was peaceful and it was freedom.”
Angelo is one of the top graduates at Venture Academy with a 3.45 GPA. His future is filled with possibilities, including serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, cutting hair like his uncle or teaching.
“I am probably one of the first ones in my family to graduate from high school,” Angelo said. “I want to join the Marines right away after graduation and I am thinking about college after that. Teachers have had a big impact on me.”
Angelo started at Coeur d’Alene High School but transferred to Venture Academy in December of his freshman year.
“CHS wasn’t a good fit for me,” Angelo said. “I came to Venture and it was the best decision I ever made in my life.”
The journey at Venture had its ups and downs, and Angelo’s transformation into a top student took four years to achieve. Angelo said Venture’s staff and teachers gave him grace and guidance.
“This school has shaped me into the man I am today,” he said. “The teachers at Venture have always been there for me. I love this school.”
Math is Angelo’s favorite subject due in large part to his teacher, Carlos Gonzales, who inspired him to think differently about math and life.
“Gonzales gave me the power to be able to problem-solve on my own,” Angelo said. “It challenged me to find solutions. He made me find the answers instead of just telling me.”
Another instrumental teacher for Angelo was Lex Levy, an English teacher.
“I look at him like a father figure," Angelo said. "I write an essay, and he’ll give me 60 different things to fix and I have to rewrite it four times. He knows what I am capable of and he pushed me to do better.”
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Marc Stewart is with the Coeur d'Alene School District.