Wayzata’s Ricky Moncayo Cuesta Aspires to Be Future Business Leader
In the world of business, many decisions are driven by data.
Crunching numbers may not be everyone’s idea of fun, but for Wayzata High School’s Ricky Moncayo Cuesta, the skills he’s learning in this AP stats class will serve him well into the future.
“This past year and a half I really started to develop an interest in finance, specifically markets and that kind of stuff,” Moncayo Cuesta said. “So that is what I’m seeking to get an education for in college, and that is what I’m looking for in the future.”
Not every student has a clear grasp of what they’d like to do when they get older, but Moncayo Cuesta, comes from a family of entrepreneurs who serve as his inspiration.
Hard work runs in the family
“In the culture of Latinos, working hard is part of our culture,” he said. “We’re very hard workers and for people who come here as maybe first generation or second generation, we have it within ourselves to work hard and to find something to work hard for.”
Ricky Moncayo Cuesta looks on during an AP stats class at Wayzata High School.
Being a hard worker is one of Moncayo Cuesta’s primary traits, according to Wayzata staff members.
“His enthusiasm for learning is high. It’s so strong, and that makes me feel good,” said Joyce Hayden, Wayzata’s achievement specialist. “I’m sure that it’s what keeps him going and keeps him on the path to making sure that he’s doing excellent work.”
Moncayo Cuesta does excellent work in the classroom and in his extracurricular activities as well. He has a leadership role in the school’s DECA chapter, which is Wayzata’s competitive business club.
“I organize and help new members and returning members get prepared for competition, helping them with their papers, with their presentations, and helping them grow,” he said.
Moncayo Cuesta still has about seven months left of high school before he moves onto the next phase of his life. And wherever the world takes him, his teachers predict good things on the horizon.
“He’s going to be phenomenal in wherever he goes, wherever he lands, but just that journey is going to be so special for him,” Hayden said.
Wayzata High School
