Alumni Spotlight: Andres Garcia Coleto, Riverstone Alumni, Class 2017

By the time Andres Garcia Coleto graduated with his Bachelor’s degree in Optical Engineering from University of Rochester, he had already published two academic research papers, an achievement that is rare among undergraduate students.

While Andres has achieved a great deal of success since he graduated from Riverstone International School in 2017, Andres found his love of research at Riverstone through the International Baccalaureate (IB) program’s Internal Assessments (IA) and the Extended Essay.

“At Riverstone, I was encouraged to find something that I wanted to explore and dive deep into it, learn as much as I could about the problem, and report my findings in one paper,” Andres said. “That love for research started at Riverstone, continued into college, and eventually made me decide to pursue a Ph.D.”

At Riverstone, Andres had the opportunity to explore new interests in and out of the classroom.

“Riverstone really pushed me to be a well-rounded person,” Andres said, “At Riverstone, I played multiple sports, went on many backpacking trips, and made amazing friendships, all while being in the rigorous International Baccalaureate (IB) program.”

Andres is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he also works as a graduate student researcher. He said the time management skills he gained during his time at Riverstone helped him succeed in college as a student, athlete, and a researcher.

“Riverstone taught me to always be willing to try new things and be involved in the community,” he said. “This is something that I thought about as I tried new sports, joined new clubs, made new friendships, and explored different majors.”

Andres was involved in several activities as a Riverstone student. He was on Riverstone’s basketball team and also played soccer. He continued athletics in college, joining the University of Rochester’s track and field team as a jumper.

He earned several accolades as a member of the men’s track and field team, including all-conference honorable mentions and league all-academic honors as a student-athlete.

Originally from Sevilla, Spain, Andres received a scholarship to attend Riverstone as a junior. He lived with a host family for one year and then lived in our dorm for his final two years here. Following his positive experiences at Riverstone, Andres recommended that his younger sister, Maria, attend Riverstone. “Not only did I have an amazing time at Riverstone, but I believe Riverstone played a huge role in preparing me for college and the rest of my life so far. I recommended Riverstone to my sister because I felt it was a perfect fit for my sister’s academic and personal goals. Also, I wanted her to have as much fun as I had at Riverstone,” Andres said.

Maria will graduate from Riverstone in 2024.

Learn more about Riverstone International School’s boarding program and inquire about a Boise-based International Baccalaureate education for your student.