Meet Donovan Razo, a sixth-grader at Buford Middle School. Donovan is the son of Elise and Jesus Razo and brother to Jesus Razo, a junior at Buford High School, and Eve Razo, a Kindergartener at Buford Elementary. As one of the three siblings attending Buford City Schools, Donovan and his family represent the very heart of the Buford community. Born in Gainesville and raised in Buford, Donovan has attended Buford City Schools since Kindergarten and plans on graduating as a lifetime Buford attendee.
Donovan enjoys engaging in extracurricular activities at Buford Middle. Playing the saxophone in the Buford Middle School Band is a pastime at which he enjoys and excels. He was excited to take part in performing with the band for Buford Night at the Striper’s game this August. As additional proof of his skill, Donovan was invited by the Middle School Band Director, Mrs. Kathy Mason, to participate in Concert Band this year. In addition to band, Donovan enjoys playing soccer. He currently plays club soccer for UFA and plans on trying out for the Buford soccer team this upcoming season. A skill for playing soccer runs in the family; Donovan’s mother played as a goalkeeper at LaGrange College and his father played professionally for a team in Mexico. Like his father, Donovan hopes to one day play professionally as well.
In the classroom, Donovan is focused and intent on his work. His favorite subject is Social Studies, but he claims he is most influenced by his Earth Science Teacher, Mrs. McDonald. “Science isn’t necessarily my strong suit,” Donovan says, “but she [McDonald] makes the class fun by having us do exciting activities.” It is clear that both inside and outside the classroom, Donovan has high standards for himself and strives to excel in all of his activities.
Outside of school and sports, Donovan spends his free time with family and friends. One of his favorite activities is going to his grandmother’s community pool in Gainesville with his family. If he is not at the pool, he is playing XBox with his best friend or running around with his two dogs, Rosie and Max, and his bearded dragon, Bubbles.
When asked to describe himself, Donovan chose the words friendly and caring. “I am pretty well known around the school and like to interact with others,” Donovan explained. He clearly demonstrates his care for others in the community through his actions. Interacting with his community has always come naturally to Donovan; with his servant’s heart and caring spirit, it is no surprise that he was awarded the title of Student of the Week. This past week, Donovan demonstrated his kindness as he offered his assistance to a fellow student. Standing out as mature and helpful among his classmates, he was selected by Coach Bro to help out a student struggling to navigate school with a cast on his arm. Without hesitation, Donovan agreed to help the student by carrying his books and cheering him up despite the circumstances. When asked about the experience, Donovan explained how he felt while offering a helping hand. “I feel better as a person when I help others- it doesn’t matter who. The cool thing about this experience was the fact that the boy who broke his arm, Henry, and I were good friends from elementary school who had lost touch. It was nice to get back to being close friends again.”
People who know Donovan would describe him as charismatic and genuine- a kind-hearted individual who exemplifies maturity and good-naturedness. He puts forth an effort to be friendly in every area of his life, whether it be in the classroom or on the soccer field. Donovan is a confident young man who stands out in his community as everything a true Buford Wolf should be.
— By Regan Saunders, BHS Intern
