Nelli Lopez Cortes, 8th, attempted her work, tapped her foot, and argued with Carlos Abrego and Diego Martinez.

If Nelli could be any animal, it would be a bunny.

“They’re small and cute,” Nelli said.

Riding in an air balloon is on Nelli’s Bucket List.

“It’s something I’ve always thought would be fun,” Nelli said. “I would also travel the world with my future husband because it’s romantic. Going to a lantern festival would also be fun because it looks so pretty.”

The bravest thing this 13-year-old Arkansas native has done is be honest with her mom.

“It was a bad situation, and I was scared to tell her the truth,” Nelli said.

As for sports, Nelli loves two things: shopping and playing soccer.

“I could never get tired of buying things,” Nelli said. “I’m not good at Soccer, but I still think it’s fun.”

Other than soccer, Nelli likes to play Roblox.

“It’s fun to play, especially with friends, because it’s a good bonding time,” Nelli said.

Nelli’s all-time favorite Netflix series is La Rosa De Guadalupe.

“The show talks about a lot of real-life topics, and it’s entertaining,” Nelli said.

Nelli listens to her all-time favorite type of music, rap, with her best friends, Jalie Hernandez, Michelle Salinas, and Caylee Lekdavanh.

“Rap has a good beat and makes me feel good about myself,” Nelli said.

Michelle Salinas’ first impression of Nelli was that she was very nice and polite.

“She respected me and was kind, even though I was someone new to her,” Michelle said.

Spending time together on Halloween was Michelle’s favorite moment with Nelli.

“Nelli made sure we all had a great time together at her place,” Michelle said.
Michelle finds that Nelli knows exactly what to say at the right time.

“She is great with her words and gives the best advice,” Michelle said

Caylee Lekdavanh’s first impression of Nelli was that she seemed perfect.

“She had long pretty hair, good grades, and was liked by everyone,” Caylee said.

Caylee thinks Nelli is a good friend.

“Nelli is funny, has good social skills, and is trustworthy,” Caylee said.

Jalie Hernandez’s first impression of Nelli was that she was mean and naturally has an intimidating look on her face.

“Nelli is actually the complete opposite once you talk to her,” Jalie said.

Cheering together is Jalie’s favorite memory of Nelli.

“Getting to be a base for her in stunts and going to the cheer sleepover with her really grew our friendship,” Jalie said.

Jalie believes Nelli is a good friend because she will stick by your side through everything.

“Nelli will defend you even if you’re not around,” Jalie said. “She always makes you feel included, and that’s my favorite thing about her.”

Profile by Melanie Rodriguez