All-star is ‘a lot of fun’

There’s a fine line between making class time fun and distracting other students, and this jovial freshman understands the difference, St. Francis High School faculty say of 15-year-old athlete and academic high achiever Andrew Quintero.

Quintero was nominated as a Valley Sun All-Star by staff at the school. He’s also a recipient of the school’s Random Act of Kindness award, for his academic excellence, enthusiasm and compassion for others.

“Andrew is a fantastic young man,” said Gino Altobelli, Quintero’s algebra teacher at the school. “He’s a hard worker and he’s also a lot of fun.”

Altobelli said his student always comes in to class with a smile and makes the time enjoyable for staff and his peers. “He doesn’t distract or make the other kids get off track, but he keeps things enjoyable,” Altobelli added.

Andrew Quintero is the son of Juan and Joni Quintero. He was born in Glendale and attended Pasadena Christian School for kindergarten through eighth-grade before transferring to St. Francis High School last fall. He has a brother, Matthew, 18, a St. Francis graduate who is studying sports medicine at the University of San Francisco.

In addition to currently playing catcher on the high school’s freshman baseball team, Andrew Quintero was the starting fullback on the school’s freshman football team and enjoys long boarding, which is similar to skateboarding only on a longer board that is used primarily for going downhill at fast rates of speed, he described.

Quintero also enjoys science, mathematics and drawing and designing buildings. He said he might like to go into construction or architecture as a career.

For fun, he enjoys playing video games, the electric guitar, and hanging out with his friends. His outgoing personality and keen sense of humor keep him surrounded by friends and admirers, his teacher said.

Quintero’s baseball coach at St. Francis High School, Brian McNeill, said the youth is a great leader and an asset to the team. “He’s one of the hardest working guys on the team,” McNeill said.

IF YOU’D LIKE TO NOMINATE an exceptional young person who lives in La Cañada or is a student in a La Canada school to be a Valley Sun All-Star, please e-mail us at lnews@valleysun.net.