"What have you accomplished in high
thinking about the question, the answer
was clear. The relationships and the bonds
that I have created over the past fourteen
years, and especially in high school, are
what I am most proud of. Shorecrest has
provided me with an amazing community
and foundation that will be a part of me
for the rest of my life.
nal, and I know I will miss them moving on
day as a senior have always been there to create a safe community for me
to grow in and develop. Two high school teachers who have really helped
me develop are Mr. Field and Mrs. Gaglio. I had always enjoyed and suc-
ceeded in math, but I was told Mr. Field's class would be extremely chal-
lenging, his fun sheets would not always be fun, and that I might receive a
few grades that I was unhappy with along the way, but that Mr. Field would
always be available to help. Many Friday mornings throughout high school,
I could be found getting help from Mr. Field at 7:15 am. Besides the con-
stant help he has given me with math, the life lessons that he has taught in
the classroom, the quotes hung on his walls, and the 42 joke are the things
I will remember forever.
teacher in my growth as a student. Freshman year I signed up for
Humanities not fully understanding the class was the study of art, as I had
always been a kid who hated museums and art. Luckily, Mrs. Gaglio had so
much passion for the subject and enough Einstein bagels to keep me inter-
ested in the material. After a month of the class, art had been turned from
something that I couldn't stand to something that I couldn't stand to not
talk about. Because of the amazing experience I had in humanities with Mrs.
Gaglio, I discovered a passion that otherwise I would have never found.
years who encouraged me and helped me grow as a student, leader and
athlete. I know I am heading to college academically prepared to face the
challenges. Even more importantly, as one of the first graduates of the
Global Scholars Initiative, I am ready to take my place as a young adult in
our fast-paced, global world. As I leave Shorecrest, I am thankful for the
many leadership opportunities I was given especially in areas where I forged
ahead into new things like creating a rowdy, student cheering section at
sporting events, increasing student spirit for our school and creating a stu-
dent honor council which I hope will serve the next generation of Shorecrest
students well. I have greatly enjoyed my time at Shorecrest being a second
generation Charger!
Distinction are probably going to
with lifelong friends, an athletic depart-
ment that pushed them to succeed, and
teachers who were simply irreplaceable.
While all of these are deeming qualities of
Shorecrest, there is yet another one that
does not seem to get enough recogni-
tion: Opportunity.
said with a cheery expression across her
face. This is the warm greeting I woke up
to every morning before our workday in
La Carpio, one of Costa Rica's most
impoverished slums. With the devastation
we were headed off to tackle, her warm-
heartedness was necessary to make it
through the day.
down buckets of sand, concrete mix, and
water to eventually install floors inside four
riverside "homes". I believe that my expe-
rience with Habitat for Humanity made this
part of the project a breeze. Strangely, the
difficult but also the most rewarding por-
tion of the trip was interacting with the chil-
dren. While their parents were away at
work, some of the older kids ("older"
means ages five and up) were forced to
stay home to watch after their younger sib-