One of Aidan Gallegos’ favorite memories is leading last year’s Harrison High School seniors in the Panther Grad Fest because it cemented not just what was ahead for him, but also where he’d been. 

“It’s where you walk through the different schools (in the district) you’ve gone through,” he explained. “I got to see and hear their memories and knew then that would be happening for me this year. It was awesome celebrating.” He was able, along with the other upperclassmen, to revisit familiar places and see former teachers and staff. 

Much of what made that event special for Aidan was the awareness of how much he’d accomplished. In his Best and Brightest application, he wrote that since his first day of kindergarten, “…HSD2 and I have built a long, mutual commitment. The district has poured into me, and I have worked just as hard to give back.”  

Aidan’s ways of giving back are many. He has established himself as a leader in multiple areas, including excelling academically, serving as cross country captain, and serving as a student board representative, among many others. The latter is the liaison between students and district leadership. He has participated in numerous leadership conferences across the country. “I wake up every morning and see my entire collection of lanyards from conferences I’ve attended, roughly 18,” he said. “I’m proud of myself for that… in my role as student representative, it’s given me the opportunity to amplify student voices and my own.” 

When it comes to leadership, Aiden said his style is servant leadership. “I’m willing to take initiative with people to put them in front while working side-by-side with them.” 

Aidan plans to attend the University of Denver, where he’ll study international relations. This aligns with a long-term goal of creating what he calls The Empathy Atlas. This is an idea he first thought of as a nine-year-old. “When I was at Soaring Eagle (Elementary School), we had foreign exchange students from Vietnam. Through them, I learned a perspective I never knew about and that everyone has a story,” he said. “It was honestly awesome getting to know my first foreign friend and learning from him.” 

What Aidan learned was empathy, which is something he continues to cultivate. “I’ve realized that everybody has their own unique and complex life,” he said. He has friends from around the world and plans to travel to learn more about other cultures and lifestyles. The goal is to compile his findings, which will also include how other nations interact and how policies impact movement. 

“My decision to attend DU was very intentional,” he said. “I plan to study abroad during my sophomore year, living in different countries, getting to know their people.” Ultimately, Aiden said he would like to become a diplomat using what he’s gleaned from The Empathy Atlas. 

Another area Aidan identified as a source of pride is how comfortable he is with who he is, something he cited as an accomplishment. “I feel I was finally able to fully understand myself senior year,” he said. “It’s something that’s taken time, but I appreciate who I am. It might also have something to do with the 112 essays about myself that helped.”