Ways to get off to a good start in life • Challenge yourself. • Be respectful of yourself and others. • Be intellectually curious; ask good questions. • Be creative. • Read a lot. • Don’t take things for granted. • Never start smoking. • Stay away from drugs. Source: Alex Ortega, Ph.D. “When that happens, it is sad. They are more likely to get sick,” he says. Dr. Ortega says it isn’t easy being a researcher. Many health problems—like food swamps—aren’t easy to fix, and he has to find money to pay for his research. “You have to learn not just how to be a good scientist and how to do math, you also have to learn about how to be a good writer,” he says. You also have to be able to accept criticism. “Ask good questions always,” he says. “And listening is always good. You learn by listening.” — By Jaime Neris, Jose Rivera, Dominic Rivera, Julissa Rivera, and Marcus Rondon St. Veronica Healthy Hero 17 Illustration by Dominic Rivera, St. Veronica Healthy Hero