Patch Whiz Kid of the Week: Justin Villalta, 17

School: Somerville High School

Accomplishment: After being hospitalized repeatedly for a staph bacterium that caused deadly infections, Villalta resumed a busy life in drama club and community theater groups. Recently the senior was accepted to a pre-med program at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

How he got there: During his sophomore year, Justin Villalta was diagnosed with MRSA, a bacterial infection that corroded the skin on his hand. Treatment made him feel weak and caused him to miss long periods of school throughout his sophomore and junior years. He tried to keep up with schoolwork, but he couldn’t concentrate, and his GPA dropped.

“I did the best that I could with the time I had,” Villalta said.

Yet during his hospital stays, he became familiar with medical jargon, formed friendships with nurses and learned to change his dressings. The experience made him want to become a doctor.  

Since a recent surgery that reconstructed the skin on his hand, Villalta hasn’t had any infections. He played Grandpa Joe in the high school’s production of Willy Wonka: The Musical. He also interns for the production manager at the Somerville-based Actor’s Shakespeare Project—and he maintains an A average in his advanced chemistry class.

“My senior year has been the year I wanted it to be,” he said.

Villalta said he aspires to practice medicine at Children’s Hospital Boston, where he received treatment, and act on the side.