Valedictorian
Brindha Iyer
Where are you going to college and what are you majoring in?
I have been attending Harvard University since I was 16 years of age and will continue with Harvard Medical School and major in Oncology as I volunteered in the summer with Moffitt Cancer Research Center and found it rewarding and inspiring to assist the medically vulnerable.
If you are going to college, what are you most looking forward to?
When I was at Harvard last year, I had the honor and privilege to meet the Harvard, Princeton and Yale professor Dr. Cornel West and I’m looking forward to his thought-provoking and provocative lectures.
When did you realize you’d be top two in your class, how did you react?
My sister Fatima Iyer was the 2017 Valedictorian for Strawberry Crest. She inspired me. I worked hard and wanted to attain that same goal as well.
How did you manage your time to successfully balance all of your work and extracurriculars and still manage to have a social life?
I was attending five different education institutions as in FLVS, Harvard University,HCC, USF and Strawberry Crest plus volunteering at Moffitt and Feeding Tampa plus being involved in National Honor Society, Student Council, Leo Club, Science and Forensics Club and Keeping Tampa Bay Beautiful club so unfortunately I had little time for a social life.
What’s one thing you wish you knew about high school in advance?
How much time and work load AP classes would require.
What was your favorite moment of high school?
Meeting all the wonderful and inspiring teachers and staff at Strawberry Crest.
What was the most challenging thing about having COVID-19
disrupt your senior year?
Finishing up my Microsoft Office Specialist Certifications such as PowerPoint, Word and Excel which I completed.
What’s the best thing you learned from a teacher or mentor?
I learned from AP Psych teacher Ms. Hendrix her compassion and willingness to go beyond the classroom and truly immerse herself in her students lives. Math teacher Mr. Katzmayr’s special gift of teaching all ranges of Mathematics a fun and practical way to all different types of learners.
What do you hope to do in life after college?
Caring and helping the medically vulnerable.
What’s one message you’d like to share with your fellow graduates?
As the Latin phrase goes, make every year of your high school your Annos Mirabilis-your amazing, miracle, remarkable and wondrous year.
Salutatorian
Arturo Fuentes
Where are you going to college and what are you majoring in?
I’m going to go to USF. Majoring in biology.
What are you most excited for about going to college?
I’m excited for the new experiences, different people, different opportunities, a new place. Just the different deal for everything.
When you realized you’d be top two in your class, how did you react?
I was sitting at the top 10 breakfast and we were getting down to the last three. My friend and I, we knew we would be in top three and I thought I was in third, but I passed him by .05 percent. It was pretty exciting and I wasn’t expecting to be Sal at all. I wanted it, he knew I wanted it and he thought I deserved it. This last year I was really pushing for it and I was excited I ended up getting it.
How did you manage your time to balance all your work and succeed like you did?
It started junior year. I played soccer for the school team and I dual enrolled at HCC, but my schedule didn’t work so I had to stop playing toward December. I didn’t get to finish the season with the team, but I had to focus on school. It’s really time management and you have to make decisions what things are more important than others and then put time aside for those.
What’s one thing you wish you knew about high school in
advance?
One thing I wish I had known in freshman and sophomore year is that your classes aren’t as scary as they are made out to be. In eighth grade when I was getting ready to start high school, they made it seem like it was going to be really scary, but it wasn’t at all. I only took one AP class in freshman and sophomore year and I wish they spoke more about dual enrolling when you start high school so students could graduate with their AA. It was my mom that told me about getting dual enrolled.
What was your favorite moment of high school?
I think my favorite moment has been our pep rallies. Homecoming was nice for junior and senior year. I think prom would have been great, but you know how that turned out.
What was the most challenging thing about having COVID-19
disrupt your senior year?
I think it’s just the memories that could have been made we couldn’t do it. Being at home and missing our friends and teachers at school. Not having our yearbooks signed and missing out on our last goodbyes and the final photos on campus. I think those were the hardest parts.
What’s the best thing you learned from a teacher or mentor?
I think my parents both told me not to follow others and be a leader. I know it’s pretty cliche, but I think it really resonated with me and I didn’t have to follow others and I went on my own path and I had to do what I had to do. And I never felt bad about that.
What do you hope to do in life after college?
After USF I want to transfer to UF’s dental program. After that, become an orthodontist for braces and do that as my career.
What’s one message you’d like to share with your fellow graduates?
I think what I would want to share with my fellow graduates is that I would just want them to know that now is the time to get stuff done, don’t wait until tomorrow. We aren’t promised another day. Follow your ambitions and put time aside for your work and accomplish what you want to accomplish. Don’t procrastinate and then you won’t have to say ‘I wish I could have’ when you’re older. You have the time now.