2020-2021 School Year
Justin franco: junior – applied technology
“I first got into music from 2 people. My best friend Nick, and my older cousin Sebastian. Sebastian is the one who really gave me the knowledge and taste of all these amazing bands, like Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes, Wavves, Fildar. He really helped me get the basis for the music I listen to and cherish today. Nick is the one who got me to practice my guitar, and expand my horizons on other local Florida bands, such as his own band Better Than This, Palomino Blonde, 0 Miles Per Hour. Without him I wouldn’t be in a band, or have ever picked up the guitar. Life would be really different if they didn’t pull through. I feel like everyone has a pretty deep connection to music embedded within them. Some say it’s a universal language. And with that I think it’s pretty much how I got so close with the friends I have now. Our shared passion in music really put us closer together since we had so much we can share to each other, it’s like opening a window to a new opportunity I guess.”
Lucciana Cabarico: Senior – Medical Assisting
“Here I was, on a cold Thursday, in a completely strange and different environment to what I have always been used to in my home country, Venezuela; an environment where I couldn’t picture myself; people spoke a different language, the halls packed with people seemed “empty” to me, I was unable to comprehend any of my assignments, and I was left facing the solitude of not having friends or someone to count on, and the discouraging feeling of being or behaving “different” than the rest, not knowing if I would be able to adapt to that new environment. I was in fact feeling anxious about the uncertainty of my future at this new place. This humongous change had different consequences in my life. Adapting to a new system of education and to a totally different way of life was challenging. However, thanks to the support of my family and teachers I was able to overcome all these obstacles, learn the language and other skills necessary to become the person who I am today.”
Mrs. Katrina Cordova: Magnet Lead coordinator
“We need to make the most of the moments we live. Each day presents a new experience to learn and grow from. Seize the day; laugh; cry; feel something — anything that makes you feel alive. Some people live numb to what’s happening around them. I want to know I was present, and that’s why, each day, I try to make everything I do count.”
Angelo Aguila: Sophomore – Engineer
“I feel like my culture has been passed down to me as a reminder of what life once was in Cuba and I want to keep that tradition alive in me and future generations. What I miss most of all are the people. Especially my grandfather. These cards were one of the gifts my grandfather gave me before he passed. He gave them to me for my 11th birthday. They hold a lot of meaning as we would play with them for hours when I was little.”
LIETTE LAROSA: SOPHOMORE – Engineer
“I started ice skating in the summer of 4th grade. As a little girl, I saw a ballerina mouse that was skating in the ring, and I just wanted to be like that mouse, lying in the ring as it did. My mother did not want me to go into ice skating. She would tell me to go ask my father, and he didn’t mind. He just let me [do it]. Some people fear that they will accidentally cut off their fingers. Like, someone will fall down and another skater will just roll over and slice it off — but that is just an irrational thought. The ring can get pretty toxic, though. There are other people out there who will try to run you over. But I’m not going to let other people stop me. When I’m ice skating, I feel some sort of relief. It’s refreshing in some sense.”
RAIZA TORRES: SENIOR – COMMUNICATIONS
“Going back to Mexico felt like a culture shock even though I had already experienced one when I came here. There were a lot of changes—some temporary and some permanent—like the death of my grandma or my dad getting a new wife. After the trip, I felt inspired for my AP Art project and decided to do it on that. Each one of my pieces represents something different about my trip to Mexico. For me and a lot of immigrants, being who you are is not being who your country or your people back home want you to be anymore. They’ll call you a stranger and an outsider because you don’t fit their norm.”
