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Mix sports, student government, challenging academics and a healthy dose of hot chicken and you’ve got the ingredients for a friendship that has propelled three Dieruff High School seniors to prestigious colleges on their way to desired careers in math research, dermatology and astrophysics.
Ben Carrasquillo, Andre Mamari and Cayden Sprayberry are on track to finish in the top 10 in their class, and scholarships await them at the University of Pennsylvania, Penn State and the University of Rhode Island.
The three have bonded in class, on the volleyball court and in the pool — but it’s their regular visits to Dave’s Hot Chicken that spark the most animated recollections.
“We all grew so close to each other,” Mamari said. “We would go, I think, once, maybe even twice a month — drive like an hour, just to go get chicken. And I genuinely think that it’s been a big factor of how close we have gotten this year.”
Once the chain opened in Quakertown, the three were spared a drive to Willow Grove in Montgomery County, and Nashville-style hot chicken became an option for their after-prom meal.
All three were on prom court, with Mamari being named prom king. He is also class president, while Sprayberry and Carrasquillo serve on the Superintendent’s Advisory Council.
An emphasis on both leadership and community service has defined their years at Dieruff.
“I think that your voice is something very powerful, and everyone should be able to hear it,” Carrasquillo said. “So when I can, I try my best to make sure that everyone is heard.”
They’ve been competitors, but they’re also each other’s biggest cheerleaders.
“We’re seeing all of that hard work pay off, and it’s so satisfying,” Sprayberry said. “I love these guys very much, and I’m so proud to see them succeed.”
All three heaped praise on their teachers and the Dieruff guidance department for creating a supportive, caring environment.
Dieruff Principal Geoffrey Schmidt said the trio has made celebrating others a habit.
“These guys deflect their credit and share their joy with one another in a way that’s so unique,” Schmidt said.
As a kid, Carrasquillo said he spent so much of his free time doing math problems that math came to feel like his best friend.
“It’s what I found the most joy in doing,” Carrasquillo said.
At the University of Pennsylvania, Carrasquillo plans to major in math and philosophy with a possible minor in computer science.
He wants to be a math researcher, and he said philosophy will allow him to dive deeper into the theoretical “pure math” that he wants to explore.
“I feel like philosophy would help me get into more of a thinking state of mind,” Carrasquillo said.
At Dieruff, Carrasquillo helped resurrect the Chess Club, which is a callback to another of his childhood hobbies. He grew up without Wi-Fi at home, and he’d use his time on the shared computer to play chess.
Swimming is a skill he picked up later, joining the Dieruff team sophomore year.
“I wasn’t very good at first — I drowned,” Carrasquillo said. “But I got there.”
Now swimming ranks among Carrasquillo’s favorite hobbies. He’s worked as a lifeguard and swim coach.
“It’s very fun,” Carrasquillo said. “I actually really, really love swimming.”
Carrasquillo plans to join the chess team and swim club at UPenn. He’d also like to continue working with student government.
His work on the Superintendent’s Advisory Council has meant the ability to relay his peers’ opinions to district leaders to help improve the school.
“We listen to the students that come up to us — that we just see in the hallways — and we give them a voice,” Carrasquillo said.
Carrasquillo’s four-year, need-based scholarship to UPenn is worth $288,000.
Mamari will be entering a chemical engineering program at Penn State, but he’s hoping to eventually enroll in medical school and become a dermatologist.
He sees both chemical engineering and medicine as routes to advance society.
“I love solving problems,” Mamari said. “Solving problems has been one of my favorite things to do since I was a little kid.”
His own experience with eczema has inspired Mamari to pursue a field where he could help other patients with the same issue.
Giving back to his community is a through line in much of Mamari’s extracurricular work.
As class president, he’s proud of his successful efforts to lower the price of prom tickets, saying he knows how difficult it can be for his peers to get together the money it takes to celebrate senior year.
In addition to being a soccer goalkeeper and volleyball outside hitter, Mamari is the captain of the Unified Bocce team, where he plays alongside Special Olympics participants.
“Working with those kids — it’s a wonder,” Mamari said. “I love — genuinely, they make my day every day. They help me learn so much.”
Service work has also connected Mamari to the Syrian community at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, and he said he wants to remain a part of that community long after graduation.
“I always try to give back as much as I can right now,” Mamari said, “but I’m just excited — I’m looking forward to do it in the future as well.”
Mamari will be one of 10 students in next year’s A. James Clark Scholars cohort at Penn State’s College of Engineering. His four-year scholarship is worth $136,000.
Considering Sprayberry’s father teaches astronomy and physics at Dieruff, he said working to become an astrophysicist felt “destined to happen a little bit.”
He’s intrigued by topics like dark matter and quantum information, calling astrophysics “all of the fun parts of math with actual practical applications.”
Amid the rapidly shifting landscape of technology, Sprayberry said being a scientist who adds new knowledge to the world is a career path irreplaceable by artificial intelligence.
“As a researcher, I’ll be creating new information, and I’ll be asking questions that we don’t have the answers to, which means that is something that artificial intelligence — as it currently stands — can never replace,” Sprayberry said.
Sprayberry joined Carrasquillo on the swim team, and he plays volleyball alongside both his friends. Debate and trivia round out his extracurriculars.
His love of reading includes science fiction, with the “Red Rising” series being a favorite. Sprayberry has also built up a sizable CD collection. “In Rainbows” by Radiohead is currently his top pick.
As a student representative to the Allentown School Board, Sprayberry has had a lot of time to reflect on the narrative told about the district’s schools.
Although that narrative often focuses on a lack of resources, Sprayberry said opportunities are available for those who seek them.
“If you care, and if you put in the work, Dieruff rewards you with that,” Sprayberry said.
Sprayberry credits his guidance counselor with pushing him to apply for a program that let him take Astronomy 101 at Lehigh University this fall.
He’ll be part of the inaugural Schilling Scholars cohort at the University of Rhode Island, and additional scholarship funds will bring his four-year award total to $216,000.
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