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Spotlight
Coral Reef Sr. High
May 201011
Going off to college a right for many seniors
What to expect when going away vs. when and why to stay home for a college education
Staff Writer
Karla Bennaton
As we approach the
upcoming deadlines and the
dates get closer and closer to
graduation we ask ourselves
what we will do. It’s an
ongoing question among
soon to be college students,
whether they leave or stay.
Many have dreams
of going to out of state
schools but it’s easier said
than done. With rising
college tuitions it’s even
harder and attending an out
of state school can cost you
double maybe even up to
triple the cost that it would
cost to go to an in-state
school. So this brings us to
the controversial question
“to leave or not to leave?”
Of course there are
pros and cons from each
stand point. When students
think of going away they’re
usually looking forward
to the college experience.
They want to go somewhere
new and be away from their
parents and although they
all say they will be good
they will party.
But besides all the
partying, going away teaches
you a sense of independence
and responsibility. “I don’t
see it as a dilemma, although
it is expensive you get to be
more independent,” says
VPA Senior, David Diaz.
One of the things
about going away which
may seem as a con to some
people is the fact that you
will now be responsible
of making your own food,
washing your own clothes
Agriscience Senior Vernon Davis sports his UM
gear on school groups, pumped to play Division I
Football for the Hurricanes in the fall. Staying close
to home will help ease costs.
and mommy won’t be
there to tell you to do your
homework or clean your
room—you’re on your
own.
Now to some
people being on their own
and having to take care of
themselves sounds like a
recipe for disaster.
Moving away
means you’re
going to have to
do everything
for yourself
and that does
include even the
unpleasant things
like cleaning the
toilet and having
to pay rent and
bills if you live in
an apartment. Not
only that but it’s
very expensive
and the cost of
tuition plus all the
extra costs really
add up.
This brings
us to the number
one reason why
you would want
to stay home. The
main reason why
anyone would
not want to leave
out of state for
school is to save money.
All the extra money you
would use for out of state
costs can be used for other
things like a car which can
be very convenient during
Senior year a stepping block to college
the college years. Not to
mention that you get to
stay at home so you won’t
be missing mom’s homecooked
meals and even
better—you won’t have to
make them yourself. You’ll
always be close to home,
meaning you’ll always be
close to your loved ones.
“Going out of state
would make me homesick,
just the thought of it makes
me homesick; I would miss
my mom a lot,” says Legal
Senior, Virginia Castro.
The only bad thing
about staying at home is that
you wouldn’t get the “oncampus”
college experience
because it’s not the same to
be a commuter student then
to actually live on campus.
“I want to go away, college
is an experience that you
should live to the fullest,
take advantage of it all”
says Legal Senior, Michelle
Elkott . If you stay at home
you don’t get to have
the experience of going
somewhere new and if you
really hate living at home
with your parents you have
to stick around for another
four years.
With a fulfilling senior year behind her, Patty Trujillo looks forward to going to college while staying close to a mother with health issues
Staff Writer
Melissa Creary
Patty Trujillo, a Visual
Performing Art student in the dance
program, has done a lot throughout
her four years in Coral Reef. The
one day all seniors look forward
to, is the day we into accepted into
the University of our choice and for
Patty this University just happened
to be... Florida International
University (FIU).
Patty plans to major in
either biology or psychology to
become a physical therapist. FIU
wasn’t Patty’s first choice but FIU
will do for her, her top schools
were University of Florida ((UF)
and University of Central Florida
(UCF). Patty says,
“I’m definitely ready to
leave high school, I’m pretty sure
I’ve been ready to leave since my
junior year.”
One of the best moments
for Patty has been being part of the
senior class officers and being able to
start her own volunteer
group. Patty also states
that her Senior Year
homecoming was
another memorable
moment in high
school.
Ultra Music Festival
2011 was the most
memorable moment for
Patty; she has enjoyed
those moments to the
fullest and will cherish
them forever.
In 2011 Patty’s mother was
beyond blessed when she receive
a match and a donor for a heart
transplant, this moment made
Patty’s year due to the loyalty
people have in this world today.
The worst part moment in high
school for Patty would be when she
choked on a pastelito in front of all
the seniors in the courtyard on the
Patty Trujillo plans
to stick close
to home while
attending FIU.
first day of her freshman year, she
was truly embarrassed the seniors
will never forget
her after seeing that
incident occurred .
Throughout high
school, Patty has
stated that she has
“learned to be more
responsible, learn
how to write better,
and who my real
friends are, and that
you only experience
high school once so
you might as well
make the best of it a live life to the
fullest.”
In college Patty looks
forward to meeting new people and
experiencing a completely different
type atmosphere, learning better,
getting time management down
pat and hopefully joining a sorority
within the next four months we
have left in Coral Reef, she’ll be
experiencing everything and more
once we enter the “Real World.”
Throughout high school
Patty has fulfilled an immense
number of activities from being a
Senior Class treasure, Historian of
Dance Alliance, a member of the
national honor society of dance
arts and she received over 2,000
community service hours due
to the activities she takes part in
throughout school.
She has also volunteered
with the Transplant foundation,
Miami Children’s Hospital and has
even helped co-found her volunteer
group B.A.M. (Be A Miracle).
Most students think that
senior year you will be entitled to
slack off, but there are some student
always pushing to be something
better in life and with all of the
activities Patty has accomplished
she proves that senior year may not
always be so slack.