2017 Leominster High School graduate Angel Colina now attends Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY where he is a member of the football team. Angel, who was once a standout running back, defensive back and senior captain for the Blue Devils, said the decision to attend RPI came down to education.
“One of the reasons I choose RPI is because it is one of the best Engineering schools in the country,” Angel said. Angel is majoring in Mechanical Engineering. Angel also said the football program was also a good fit for him. RPI won back-to-back Liberty League football titles during Angel’s first two seasons with the Engineers.
Angel also said the college lifestyle has been treating him well.
“What I like most about college as compared to high school is that I get to choose what time and day I want to have my classes,” Angel said. “This allows me to not have classes every single day of the week and having a day off is always nice.”
Despite all the success Angel is having in college, he fondly remembers his days at LHS.
“My favorite memory from LHS was lunch time,” Angel said. “It was always a good time to joke around with your friends and not concentrate on school.”
Angel said the most important class he took at LHS was AP Physics 2 with Mr. Noviello.
“It was the hardest class I had to take but Mr. Noviello made it fun to learn,” Angel said. “The reason it was so important was because it taught me how to study and prepare for exams.”
As for advice to current LHS students, Angel said to really be thinking about the next steps and what you will enjoy doing down the road.
“Enjoy this last year to the fullest and to do something that you are passionate about,” Angel said. “I have seen students choose a career because it makes good money or it has good benefits but the person does not enjoy the actual job itself and they have become miserable because of it. Choose your happiness before anything else.”
“Appreciate the relationships and bonds you make now with your teachers in high school because they actually do care about you,” Angel added.
Angel and his RPI team did not get to play football this year due to the pandemic, but Angel plans to return next season for his final season and because his major takes 4.5 years to complete. Next semester, Angel also plans to apply to graduate school concentrating on either Management or Energy. Angel also wants to travel as much as possible before entering the workforce.
Thinking back to his LHS football days, Angel said it gave him the base he needed to be successful at the college level.
“Playing football at LHS taught me how to have discipline and it also taught me how to be a leader in the locker room,” Angel said. “These two traits helped me prepare for college football.”
Angel said current high school football players should always be striving to get better.
“They should be focusing on getting 1% better every single day,” Angel said. “Once you get to college you start playing with kids who were also the best players on their high school teams so the competition is much harder. If anyone hopes to play college athletics, they have to be all in with school and sports because college sports is a full time job.”
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