Rebecah Ortega’s designs of making a huge splash on the world scene will start at a small college in Wenham, Mass.
Ortega plans to major in international business at Gordon College, a liberal arts college with an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 1,700 students. Located three miles from the coast and 30 minutes from Boston, Gordon is among the top Christian colleges in the nation and the only nondenominational Christian college in New England.
“It’s beautiful,” Ortega said. “There’s lots of trees and a lake. And when the weather’s good, many of the students are outside participating in all kinds of activities. It’s a special environment and I’m excited to be a part of it.”
Ortega says she wants to focus on the global aspect of business, gain more knowledge of the outside world and work across borders. Armed with the love of travel, Ortega plans to minor in a foreign language — either French, Spanish or maybe even Mandarin.
At Little Rock Christian, Ortega helped the Lady Warriors dominate the Class 5A cross country scene. She was the team captain her senior year and she credited Coach Christy Nipper for the team’s success.
“She was absolutely incredible,” Ortega said. “She pushed us to go further than we ever thought we could go. We learned to encourage each other and when there were times we felt weak, we managed to find the strength to get us through.”
When she was not running, Ortega was busy with many other school activities. She was a member of the Model United Nations for three years and the president her senior year. She was also the chief yearbook editor her senior year.
“I was very proud to be able to help capture those memories,” Ortega said.
For four years, Ortega was a part of More Than Me, a non-profit student-run organization that hosted several fundraising events.
“It was our way for helping the community and sharing the love of Christ,” Orgeta said. “We focused on giving back. More Than Me was great to be a part of.”
REBECAH ORTEGA
HIGH SCHOOL Little Rock Christian
SPORT cross country
COLLEGE Gordon College
DATE OF BIRTH Nov. 11, 1999
NOTEWORTHY Daughter of Ceasar and Elizabeth Ortega. … earned a 4.3 grade point average. … Plans to major in international business. … Member of the Beta Club. … President of the Model United Nations. … Chief editor of the yearbook.