By Karla Perez

The time has finally come for seniors to think more than ever about college and the path that they decide to take after they graduate. With the deadline for regular decision coming up (January 1st), applying to college turns into a burdensome and tedious task, but with the help of those who are more experienced and have gone through this procedure recently, surviving the process becomes much easier.

That’s why every year, MLEC holds a panel in which the current upperclassmen get a chance to speak to alumni and ask them all the small and big questions they have about the college experience.

This year, the panel was held in the auditorium, with a bigger crowd and alumni group than last year.

Ms. Helena Castro, our Activities Director, started off the event by explaining the significance of such a reunion: “This is probably one of the greatest things that we do during the school year, which is to invite back our alumni— our former graduates— to come back and visit and share their knowledge and their experiences… This is an opportunity to see just how special they are but collectively how special we are as Jaguars.”

After, the college-bound students introduced themselves by stating the schools they currently go to, when they graduated from MLEC, and what they did at MLEC. Meeting these students truly showcased just how special these graduates are. They indulge themselves in their diversity and pride themselves on where they go to.

Some stayed in Florida and now attend reputable schools like Florida International University (FIU), Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), and the University of Central Florida (UCF); others decided to expand their horizons and go as far as Tennessee, Connecticut or even England.

Then the time came to ask some questions. The panel was asked to share if they had learned anything about their school after applying, to which most of them said the culture shock fazed them the most.

“Growing up in Miami is very different from attending a university or some institution in the Northeast… I think there was a big shock on my first day. I’m from Dade. I’m from the 305, so it was kind of crazy when I sat down on my first day and there was a freshman kid next to me wearing a $10,000 watch and I thought, ‘I don’t really belong here.’ Regardless, you have to persevere and that was probably the hardest part,” said 2012 MLEC graduate, Sean McKenzie, who studied out of Florida (and even out of the country) for some time.

Along the way, the grads also gave some advice regarding morning classes, approaching teachers, checking if credits are transferable, refraining from being intimidated by older students, researching universities, applying for scholarships, and more.

They also offered some guidance for those who will have to go through the admissions process soon.

“Essays are actually so important to the point that the first week of orientation my freshman year of college, they read out snippets from a bunch of essays and they were all anonymous. One of them was about this dream that a person had that their little brother was being eaten alive by frogs and that’s what got them into the college. Admissions officers said that they were so interested about this person that they offered them the interview and that worked out for them, so I’d say essays are pretty important,” said Daylin Delgado, who graduated in 2018 and now attends Amherst College.

“You need to be yourself. You need to say what you’re passionate about that you can talk about for hours; that’s what they want to hear,” continued Daylin..

After the students’ questions were answered and the bell rung, some left while others stayed behind to ask more questions or get contact information to stay in touch with their fellow Jaguars.

Jaguars helped Jaguars today, as they always have and always will continue to do. Let’s just wait and see which college-bound students come back next year after graduating in 2020.