At Amistad High School in New Haven, most students know that if they have a problem, they can turn to Juan Torres.
That’s because Torres, 16, considers himself the “school’s resident psychologist.”
“I love to help people with their situations until they are satisfied,’’ Torres said. “I just enjoy helping people.”
Torres hopes to pursue a career in the field of mental health.
He is an accomplished musician who plays the violin, piano, viola and bass. He performs at weddings and has earned some money doing it. He said he doesn’t really do it for the money but because he enjoys playing.
He spends a lot of his free time playing his instruments and said his favorite is the violin because he likes the way it sounds.
He has also played soccer since he was eight. Torres said he loves the sport because “it’s tons of fun.”
Torres lives in New Haven with his mother, Wanda Reyes, who is from Puerto Rico; his brother, Kevin Torres, 19, and his sister, Nelly Torres, who is 9.
He said he is Puerto Rican and proud of it.
In addition to helping others, Torres said he wants to be a writer so that he can express his feelings.
Keylee Scott is a junior at the Hartford Journalism And Media Academy.