Waterford — Jorge Paucar would be the first to tell you that his first couple of years of high school weren't exactly successful.

After transferring to Waterford High School from Saint Bernard School in January 2014, his freshman year, he had a rocky start.

Paucar, 18, described his time at St. Bernard's as an enjoyable experience, but it did not feel like the right fit for him, as he was not yet used to the difficulty of high school compared to middle school. The difficulty in adjusting also was reflected in his grades, which made his decision to switch schools an easy one.

"Next thing I know, I looked at my grades and it was like a slap in the face," Paucar said. "At the end of soccer season, I told my dad that the school wasn't for me. I didn't feel like I fit in and the financial situation was hurting us. When he saw me not doing well, he was in favor of me leaving. So, we decided to come to Waterford."  

Despite his hopes for an immediate change as soon as he switched schools, he continued to perform poorly. His advisory teacher Erica Baumgartner, who has worked with him since he first transferred, said he struggled a lot during that time.

"When he first came to Waterford ... he fit in socially, but freshman and sophomore year were a huge struggle academically," she said. "I was always on him and he failed a few classes, which he had to repeat."

It took him until the end of sophomore year to turn around his grades. He credits the change to his relationship with his father, Valerio Paucar.

Paucar moved in with his dad around three years after his parents divorced and said living with his dad made him very independent. It was up to him to be completely on top of every grade, deadline, project and homework assignment.

Looking back, he said, he was probably too young for that level of responsibility, but he said the experience forced him to grow up.

"Home stuff made me mature quicker than most," he said. "That seriousness transferred into the classroom, and around that time is when I started paying attention more to the subject of history. It was something to keep my head in its own place."

Baumgartner noticed the improvement, as well. 

"It was like something clicked over the summer between sophomore and junior year and he made a complete turnaround," she said. "He was making honor roll, high honor roll. He could see a clear picture of what he wanted to do in life. Now he's one of the top kids in my advisory junior and senior year."

English teacher Gay Collins noticed a change in Paucar, too.

"It's like he has something that is such a rare commodity, sadly: It's desire," Collins said. "He's hungry. He really wants to learn and he's not afraid to show it. He also has a personal commitment to excellence. He's got drive and ambition."

Going forward, Paucar said he will be studying at Three Rivers Community College in the fall and then plans on transferring to a local university after two years. He declared his major in history after developing a passion for it through his past classes.

"When people tell me they don't like learning about history, I try to convince them by saying it's our history, it's our never-ending movie," he said. "That's really why I like it. I saw (history) as my way to pursue something." 

Although he enjoys the subject, he's also considering studying more about politics and the economy after taking a class this past year called "Contemporary Affairs."

Douglas Sherman, who taught the course, said the class operates differently from others at the high school by being entirely discussion-based and compared it to how college classes are structured. This year topics such as the election, health care and financial inequality were discussed. Paucar was enrolled in the class for the entire academic year and Sherman said he was a beneficial presence in the classroom.

"You can see it in his eyes, some students you can just see it in their eyes," he said. "They want to learn, they're thirsty for knowledge. He's one of those students who you immediately identify as one that a college would be pretty fortunate to get. That's the student they're looking for."

Looking back on the past four years, Paucar said his experience at Waterford was transformative. He cites his father and teachers as some of the greatest sources of inspiration for him over the past few years. Without them, he said, he was not sure if he'd have the same level of maturity in his approach to life.

"I've seen myself go from a kid to understanding what's around me and what I want from my future," he said. "Maybe every senior goes through something like that, but at this school I've had the benefit of working with some really great people, and therefore I've had the best possible education I could've had. I love it."