It’s the season of celebrating the milestone of high school graduation for students around Berks County. The occasion represents the culmination of the work students put forth each step of the way from kindergarten through 12th grade, and how they have made the most of their education by adding in all that is offered along the way. For 2026 Berks Catholic graduate, Julian Rios, looking back on an education filled with memories and rich experiences has definitely prepared him to take on the challenges of his future aspirations.
“I attended Muhlenberg schools until 8th grade, when my mother decided to send me to Holy Guardian Angels. I have five siblings, and I was the first to attend a Catholic school. I loved it, and my siblings followed the same path.” Julian has fond memories of growing up in his Muhlenberg community. “We all still live in the same house and we love our community. We loved the close proximity to the parks, and spent a lot of time playing in the parks and playing sports. My mom is a travel agent, so we have gone all over the place; Hawaii, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Grand Turks. This summer we are going to Thailand.”
Julian has a wide variety of interests, which has shown through during his career as a student. “I have always been into sports; football and basketball. I used to box when I was young. That was fun! I love reading, and was on the reading Olympics team. I also participated in the spelling bee at Muhlenberg. I was influenced by the supportive people in my life. My mom definitely is one of the hardest working people I know. She works really hard, and I want to be like her. My grandmom, aka Mom Mom, Kathy Sharp, has been a great influence. She is my favorite human being, and I love her so much! And my uncle Chad, who is my god father, is always there for me.”
As Julian heads toward graduation with the Berks Catholic Class of 2026, which will take place on Wednesday, June 3rd at 6:00 PM at the Alvernia University Physical Education Center, he will fulfill one of his final roles as student body president.
“As the student body president I am responsible for overseeing all of the student government activities, helping to organize pep rallies where I M.C. from time to time, do morning announcements in the AM and in the afternoon with Vice President Adrian Polanco. At the baccalaureate I will give the speech. I have given a couple of speeches and I love public speaking.”
During his career at Berks Catholic, Julian is a returning member of the National Honor Society, which will be represented with a stole on his graduation gown. He has served as the team captain of his squad on the track and field team, where he competed as a high jumper, and has played varsity football and JV basketball.
When asked for a memory that stood out for him, Julian responds, “It was playing the lead role of Troy Bolton, in the school musical High School Musical. It was my first musical, and my girlfriend Emily Schearer convinced me to try out. She played the role of Taylor McKessie. It was an amazing experience, and one of the best times of my life. I must say that my senior year has been blessed with everything. Having been elected to student government was a great experience and I felt lucky to have that trust of my fellow students. It was one of the happiest days of my life when they made that announcement.”
Julian looks forward to life as a college student at Shippensburg University, where he will study to become a criminal defense lawyer, his ultimate career goal.
“I’ve always had an interest in law. I was either going to become an engineer or a lawyer. I had my mind set in that direction and when it came time to choose, I chose law. I envision my future as a college student and I’m excited to make new friends while maintaining my old friendships. I am a very social person, so I will always be in touch with the friends I’ve made here throughout my college years and into law school.”
A message for other students coming up through the ranks – “Get involved!! Try as many things as you can as you balance your studies with activities. High School is what you make it, so enjoy the ride, because sooner or later it will be over and it will soon be time to hit a new reset button.”
Best of luck to Julian as he launches his new chapter of life this fall. Julian will spend his summer months working as a barista at Calvaresi’s Coffee Shop at the Fairgrounds Market and working as a lifeguard for the Laurel Run Swimming Association, which he has done each summer since he was 15 years old.