Brissa M. Robles

Brissa M. Robles, a 17-year-old senior at Holmes High School, works for a cheese company handing out free samples.

A native of Matamoros, Mexico, Robles has become interested in history, especially the Roaring 20s, between World War I and the Great Depression.

"Most people think it's boring," Robles said. "Why would anyone care about someone else who lived a hundred years ago?"

Robles learned English near the American border, where she had access to American television networks such as MTV with Spanish subtitles.

About four years ago, she moved to Nashville to live with her aunt but only stayed about 10 months because she found the cultural shift hard to adjust to.

She then moved to San Antonio, where she enrolled in English as a second language classes.

She is learning French but also wants to learn how to speak Italian and Portuguese.

She believes being multilingual will open new opportunities as she travels the countries of South America.

For this upcoming year, Robles plans to attend more pep rallies and football games because she wants to live the whole high school experience.