As a senior at South Texas ISD Science Academy in Mercedes, 17-year-old Santiago Berrocal is looking to make a big impact in school and in his community.

“I'm really big on community service, I love giving back to the community," Santiago said.

Santiago is the captain of his school’s volleyball and tennis teams. He's also part of the rotary club and serves as the lead ambassador representing his school and giving tours.

“I want to be a leader to my community, to my family — and what better way to start than being a leader at my school,” Santiago said.

That passion to lead and serve took Santiago all the way to the Amazon jungle in Peru over the summer. Santiago’s dad — an infectologist — went there to provide medical care to underserved communities.

Santiago was there by his father’s his side.

“While he was helping patients, I was assisting other surgeons that don't speak Spanish. I was translating for them from English to Spanish," Santiago said. “I was kind of a bridge for the patient and surgeon."

During his time in Peru, Santiago also delivered essentials to children at a shelter.

“It was life changing. That experience taught me many things, but it also taught me to be grateful for the situation that I’m in,” Santiago said.

Santiago said he now applies that same sense of purpose into his schoolwork. He’s received the AP Scholar Award and completed a summer science internship at UTRGV to study cancer cells.

Santiago said he is focused on becoming a patent lawyer.

“We've had a lot of successful Science Academy kids build great things, but their work isn't protected, and I kind of want to be the person who protects their work,” Santiago said.

Santiago said his biggest role models are his parents, who inspire him to dream big.

He said he hopes he can inspire others to make a difference in their communities.

Santiago's leadership and dedication make him this week's Student of the Week.

This fall, Channel 5 News will be highlighting 10 students who shine in and out of the classroom.

The students have already been selected.

Click here for more Student of the Week stories.

Watch the video above for the full story.