HOMECOMING: Senior welcomes students to Panther family

Among the oh-so enthusiastic fans and flag-wavers in the student section at Wenatchee High School’s Homecoming game on Oct. 6 you could see senior Edgar Apolinar standing towards the back of the mob, hands in pockets and eyes focused not on the field, but on his peers instead.

Once he spotted a boy sitting and looking particularly bored, Apolinar made his way over, balancing along the bleachers, and introduced himself, wide smile across his face and welcoming hand extended outward. “You should join me in the student section!” Apolinar said. The boy seemed reluctant at first, smiling nervously, but eventually warmed up to the invite, and joined his fellow classmate in cheering.

This is a regular scene at all sports events attended by Apolinar, ASB member and people’s person. During each game, he makes it his mission to include those who seem to need it the most.

“It really bums me out to see people not participating because they could be having so much more fun and really enjoy high school,” Apolinar said. “I think it’s important because if you don’t have someone come at least ask you, you’re not going to do it and you’ll sit alone. But if someone asks you, then you’re more likely to have fun and enjoy yourself… I just want to try as many people as possible [to join in]. The more, the merrier.”

Apolinar’s efforts are rewarded through the newfound smiles of those he invites and sometimes an added heartfelt thank you for his kind act.

“I remember once I went to a volleyball game and invited this girl to come sit with us. [During] the game, I kept encouraged her to cheer. After the game, she came up to me and said, ‘Thank you so much for telling me come over here. I had a lot of fun.’ And that just means the world to me,” Apolinar said.

Along with his numerous success stories, however, come the inevitable rejections to his invites. Apolinar refuses to label these as failures, but instead opportunities to learn and grow on his path to becoming a better leader.