(L.-r.) Paul, Jamie, Joel, Kathy & Jake Miller. (Photo courtesy of the Miller family)
Dear University Of South Florida:
I am not a USF graduate nor am I related to Joel Miller, the former USF football player your former coach Jim Leavitt assaulted in your locker room in front of 30 of your players who you paid $2.75 million to go away and never come back because he assaulted one of your players.
I am, however, a father to two young men who are now in their 30s with families of their own, one of whom was once a youth football rival of Joel’s who later became good friends with him — close enough friends that Joel’s mother Kathy says she thinks of my son as Joel’s brother.
Why him? (Photo: GoUSFBulls.com)
But, Joel never made it to his 30s. He never got to have a family or even live to see if he could make his dream of playing in the NFL one day come true. And why?
Because Jim Leavitt decided to make an example of Joel at halftime of a game that USF was winning, by the way, by holding him by the throat, slamming him against the wall and — according to the reenactment Joel did for me of the events of that day in November 2009 — striking him with a closed fist three times, all in front of those 30 players.
But, Joel took this felony assault like a man. He finished out the game and the season without any attempt on his part to seek publicity, press charges or get money out of his school or even out of Jim Leavitt. All Joel wanted to do was play football. And the only thing he ever wanted from Jim Leavitt was an apology that never came.
It was another player who witnessed Coach Leavitt’s assault on Joel who contacted the local sports radio station. Colby Erskin wasn’t even necessarily calling the station to talk about Joel. Colby was calling to say that Jim Leavitt had gotten an assistant coach to throw all of his gear out of his locker and into a driving rain. He just inadvertently mentioned that what Leavitt did to him wasn’t nearly as bad as what he did to Joel.
And that lit the fire that Joel’s mother Kathy, his father Paul and his sister Jamie know in their hearts ultimately led to the end of Joel’s too-short life. Their son and brother was ridiculed, cursed at, had beer thrown on him and a brick thrown at him that sliced open the back of his head. He was unable to escape (as I wrote in the February 28, 2015 edition of New Tampa Neighborhood News when I became the first member of the media Joel allowed to tell his story) being “that kid” — that whistle-blowing, attention-seeking kid who got Jim Leavitt fired.
But, whether you knew Joel and his family as well as I did or not, if you’ve ever had a son of your own and you saw their life spiral out of control because of the actions of one pompous megalomaniac who assaulted your child, how would you feel about that worthless piece of garbage being inducted into the Hall of Fame of the school that paid to get rid of him?
I went to Leavitt’s USF Hall of Fame bio on GoUSFBulls.com for his picture and I couldn’t help but notice that there was no mention of USF being sued by this “standup guy” or having to pay him out millions in order to send him on his way.
The Letter
Kathy told me that she found Joel’s hand-written letter to “Jim” less than two years after Joel passed away in 2017, at the age of 29. It’s a powerful two-page (below) appeal to Leavitt for nothing more than an apology — one Joel knew when he wrote it (8/12/2015) would never come. Pompous megalomaniacs don’t generally apologize for their actions, especially when they get away with them scot-free. “Jim” went on to coach in the NFL and at four other college programs.
But, eight years after losing him, Joel Miller’s family is still broken. Their son and brother? Gone forever. All they really want — and genuinely deserve — is for your school to reconsider its decision to bestow this honor on a guy who never took you to a major bowl game — and committed felony assault and lied about it. Otherwise, please re-name it the USF “Hall of Shame” — and take the late, great Lee Roy Selmon out of it.
Wednesday, July 2, 9 a.m.-3:15 p.m. – Alzheimer’s Caregiver C.A.R.E.S. Workshop, presented by USF Health, Byrd Alzheimer’s Center & Research Institute. At Embassy Suites-USF (3705 Spectrum Dr.). This workshop gives Critical Answers, Resources, Education & Support to families dealing with Alzheimer’s Disease. $25 to attend, includes breakfast, lunch & resources. To register, visit Shop.USF.edu, click on “Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute Caregiver Cares Conference” & click “attendees” to register and pay. For more info, call (813) 396-0849 or see the ad below.
By the time you read this, the Freedom High Class of 2025 will already have had its graduation ceremony, which was held on May 23 at the Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall.
Every graduate has a story that has led them to this exciting milestone in their lives. Listed below are highlights of some of the extraordinary students from this class.
Outstanding seniors were recognized in the school’s annual Red, White, and Blue Awards Ceremony, held his year on Apr. 24.
Congratulations to Freedom High School’s top 10 students, according to their weighted grade point averages (GPAs).
1. Roham Farhardi Valedictorian
GPA: 11.04
College plans:
University of Florida,
Biomedical Engineering
Note – Roham Farhardi’s 11.04 GPA is the highest ever at Freedom, and is also the highest in all of Hillsborough County this year. GPAs above 4.0 are attained by taking college-level classes, including dual enrollment, advanced placement (AP) and AICE (Advanced International Certificate of Education, a program offered by Cambridge Assessment International Education). Roham began taking dual enrollment high school classes in sixth grade and completed a total of 47 courses, while only 25-28 is typical. He is leaving high school with 96 college credits already earned, scored a 1580 out of 1600 on the SAT, and was named a National Merit Finalist, ranking among the top 15,000 students nationally of the 1.3 million who took the PSAT as a qualifying exam.
2. Rose Khosh
Salutatorian
GPA: 9.36
College plans:
University of Florida, Biology (Pre-Dental track)
3. Elena Le
GPA: 8.96
College plans:
University of Florida, Health Science
4. Zachary Harmon
GPA: 7.96
College plans:
University of Florida, Environmental Science
5. Joseph Afiat
GPA: 7.629
College plans:
University of Florida, Astrophysics
6. Gregory Murashkin
GPA: 7.44
College plans:
U.S. Naval Academy, Mechanical Eng. or
Quantitative Economics
7. Sunjay Bale
GPA: 7.359
College plans: University of Florida, Engineering
8. Anthony Murashkin
GPA: 7.345
College plans:
U.S. Air Force Academy, Mechanical Eng. or military & strategic studies
9. Emma Schroeder
GPA: 7.219
College plans:
University of Florida,
Sports & Business Mgmt.
10. Jorge Gonzalez
GPA: 7.023
College plans:
Hillsborough CC, then
University of Florida,
Criminology
In addition to naming its top-10 students, six scholarships were presented at the school’s Red, White and Blue Awards Ceremony. Given by the Freedom Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA), each honoree below earned a $500 award:
Joseph Afiat is a leader in chorus, honor societies and campus initiatives. He will attend the University of Florida and plans to pursue a Master’s degree in STEM, hoping to work with innovative companies to use science to solve global problems.
Sarah McAveety is a campus leader who participates in clubs, sports and rigorous academics. She plans to attend the University of Central Florida and hopes to have a career in aerospace engineering, space exploration, or serving her country as a fighter-jet pilot.
Andrew Switzer is involved in student government, honor societies and created an e-sports program at Freedom. He plans to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at USF.
Nico Baisley was the manager for the softball team, participated in theatre, Best Buddies and other organizations. Nico plans to attend Hillsborough Community College and hopes to become a special education teacher.
The Radiance Orthodontics Community Service Award was presented to Emma Schroeder, recognizing her commitment to serving others. Emma served more than 400 hours during her high school career as a volunteer with RAISE, tutoring students in reading, writing and spelling, and participated in other organizations such as Key Club and Mu Alpha Theta. She will attend the University of Florida.
The PTSA also offered the anonymously funded Bridge Forward Scholarship, honoring a graduating senior who has demonstrated personal growth, resilience, and commitment to building a brighter future despite challenges. This scholarship was awarded to Jonathan Assefa, who plans to attend USF and pursue a career in cybersecurity. As a student with autism, Jonathan joined chorus to build social confidence and remained open to new experiences,. He hopes to inspire others with autism to break barriers, too.
Congratulations to the entire Freedom High School class of 2025!
Editor’s Note – Although photographer Charmaine George was able to take photos at the awards ceremony for Wharton High, neither myself nor Charmaine was available to attend the awards event at Freedom, so the top-10 photos, which were borrowed from Freedom’s Instagram page, and the information on this page were all we were able to provide for the school.
We apologize for not being able to do more to honor the graduating students at both of New Tampa’s high schools. — GN
The Wharton High Class of 2025 will walk across the stage at the Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall on Thursday, May 29, where they will toss their caps and officially leave high school behind.
Before they go, however, the future graduates are participating in many traditions and lots of “lasts,” such as the last exam, the last day of school and one last ceremony to recognize the most outstanding among a sea of successful students.
Wharton’s Senior Awards Ceremony was held on May 7, where the top students in academics were honored and dozens of students were recognized by individual departments for being the outstanding student in a variety of subjects – everything from math to physical education to art.
The ceremony included recognition of the school’s Valedictorian and Salutatorian, along with the other eight students who round out the school’s top 10 by weighted grade point average (GPA). They are:
1. Shruti Mishra, Valedictorian (right in top left photo), with a GPA of 8.3082. Shruti will attend the University of Florida to study Computer Science.
2. Ananda Ravinder, Salutatorian (left in top left photo), with a GPA of 7.6767. Ananda will attend the University of South Florida (USF) to study Data Science.
3. Ayush Patel
4. Samantha Leyva Suarez
5. Radhika Dhanpat
6. Sean Kwon
7. Jesus Contreras*
8. Aaron Wonderley
9. Gavin Raitt*
10. Nishtha Hirapara
Twelve students will leave Wharton High with perfect unweighted GPAs of 4.0. Of those 12, only two are among the school’s top-10 students listed above — Jesus Contreras and Gavin Raitt. The other 4.0 unweighted GPA graduates are Gina Cocchiola, Shriya Patnaik, Marisol Peak, Isabella Pena, Danielle Pliego, Brady Quinn, Andria Santhosh, Dylan Stamper, Kayla Strocchio and Abigail Welsh earned nothing less than an “A” in all of their high school classes.
Margaret Alma (at right in photo right) was recognized as a National Merit Commended Student. Of the 1.3 million students who took the PSAT screening exam, only about 34,000 students nationally (2.6%) were recognized with this honor.
Several scholarships were awarded by the school’s Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA). Each of the scholarships required an application, essay and letter of recommendation. A volunteer committee reviewed the submitted applications with all personal information redacted and scholarships were awarded to the highest-scoring students.
Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera presented two of the scholarships, including a new one introduced this year called the PTSA CTE (Career & Technical Education) Award, specifically to honor students pursuing a vocational career after graduation.
“The CTE scholarship was something I introduced this year because I am passionate about the trades,” said Shannon Briones, PTSA president. “Our winner completely embodied the concept behind the scholarship, as someone who was taking one of the great trade classes offered at Wharton, finding that passion, and then going on to pursue that trade at the next level at a local school in our community.”
Christian Perna (with Viera in photo above ) earned a $1,000 award towards his upcoming enrollment at Erwin Technical College, where he will continue studying culinary arts, as he did at Wharton. Christian was recognized as a consistent leader in both the kitchen and the classroom, graduating with a GPA of 4.6 and having won a local baking competition.
“It’s great to celebrate the 4.0 students and the valedictorian,” said Briones, “and also great to celebrate those who are the service professionals you hire for your home and car, and who work in the restaurants and shops. That’s what makes the community.” She said she is excited that the PTSA will continue to offer the CTE scholarship next year.
Viera also presented the Radiance Orthodontics Community Service Award to Abigail Alt (at right in photo with Viera). This award recognizes outstanding contributions to the community, regardless of GPA, but Abigail achieved both with a weighted GPA of 6.6 and more than 120 hours logged serving others through local organizations such as Tampa Parks & Recreation, St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church, Bay Chapel Food Pantry, Relay for Life and others. She will attend the University of South Florida and pursue a career in pediatric nursing.
Four additional PTSA scholarships were presented by HCPS School Board Chair Jessica Vaughn to outstanding students.
Samantha Leyva Suarez (right in left photo with Vaughn), who earned a weighted GPA of 7.60 and was honored through the National Hispanic Recognition Program, will attend USF to pursue a degree in medicine.
Lucas Sauer, who demonstrated a commitment to academics, community service and athletics as captain of the Wharton baseball team, will attend Greensboro College to pursue a degree in sports management. Samantha and Lucas each earned $500.
Michael Jensen (at right in right photo with Vaughn), who excelled in academics and was captain of the golf team will attend Mississippi State University in Starkville in the school’s PGA Golf Management program.
Adrianna Castillo, who is graduating with a GPA of 6.41 and served as senior class president, will attend Florida State University in Tallahassee to pursue a degree in health sciences. Michael and Adrianna each received $250.
Wharton principal Taryn Anello presented her “Turnaround Award” to Adolfo Castillo (below left) and “Golden Wildcat” awards to Cyron Gray (bottom center photo) and Gabriella Hawkins (bottom right).
Congratulations to these outstanding students and the entire Wharton class of 2025!
Congratulations to the graduating classes of 2025! For those in our community graduating from college, high school, or even kindergarten or preschool, it’s an exciting time to look forward and chase your dreams. At Wesley Chapel’s four public high schools, hundreds of students are anticipating tossing their caps and moving on to the next phase of life, whether it’s further education or starting their careers. This includes the first-ever graduating class at the Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, which opened for the 2022-23 school year with just freshman and sophomores. We salute these top students at each of our Wesley Chapel public high schools and say congratulations to you and all of the graduates!
Cypress Creek High
1. Anastasia Herzek
GPA: 4.7143
Clubs/Activities: National Honor Society (NHS), American Sign Language Honor Society, National Science Honor Society, Clemson Summer Scholars, Game Master at Arcanum Escape Room
College planning to attend: University of Florida
Planned major or future career: Chemistry
Best thing about high school: Making connections with friends and staff at Cypress Creek.
2. Daniel Garcia
GPA: 4.7000
Clubs/Activities: Science National Honor Society, NHS, Custodial Service with Robotics team, Volunteer at pharmacy, Work at Kohls & Publix
College planning to attend: University of Central Florida
Planned major or future career: Mechanical Engineering
Best thing about high school: Being able to see my friends!
3. Nico Gust
GPA: 4.6780
Clubs/Activities: NHS, McDonald’s, Raising Cane’s, Martial Arts (black belt), Model UN, Crochet Club, National Merit Scholarship Finalist
College planning to attend: University of North Florida
Planned major or future career: Marine Biology
Best thing about high school: Being done!
4. Keira Lefebvre
GPA: 4.6885
Clubs/Activities: Track, Cross Country, NHS, Science National Honor Society, Volunteer at AdventHealth, Insurance Marketing Associate, Crochet Club, Chick-Fil-A Leadership Academy
College planning to attend: University of Florida
Planned major or future career: Chemistry
Best thing about high school: Hanging out with my friends.
5. Marisa Morales
GPA: 4.6275
Clubs/Activities: Volunteered at Pasco County Animal shelter, Volunteer at Pasco Schools, Clemson summer scholar, NHS, NSHS, HOSA
College planning to attend: University of Florida
Planned major or future career: Biochemistry
Best thing about high school: My friends
6. Cristina Dima
GPA: 4.6146
Clubs/Activities: Author & illustrator of a children’s book, Elem. school volunteer at library, Bioengineering research program (Clemson Summer Scholars), NHS, HOSA, Hillsborough State Park Halloween Event Volunteer
College planning to Attend: Univ. of Florida
Planned major or future career: Biological Sci.
Best thing about high school: My friends
7. Hannah Hershey
GPA: 4.6019
Clubs/Activities: Student Government, Treasurer of Spirit Club, Chick-Fil-A Leadership Academy, National Honor Society, Volleyball, Job at Chicken Salad Chick & Pack Leader
College planning to attend: Univ. of Central Florida
Planned major or future career: Accounting
Best thing about high school: Meeting new people and making connections.
8. Diana Le
GPA: 4.5673
Clubs/Activities: Lady Coyote Engineering, Vietnamese language tutor, part-time retail job
College planning to attend: University of Florida
Planned major or future career: Accounting
Best thing about high school: The community.
9. Camryn Paradise
GPA: 4.5600
Clubs/Activities: NHS, National English Honor Society, spirit club, Science NHS, Spanish NHS, Club volleyball, Volleyball
College planning to attend: Clemson University
Planned major or future career: Business; minor in Biology
Best thing about high school: Being involved with clubs and organizations and putting events together especially (my favorite) pep rallies!
10. Jacob Sheldon
GPA: 4.5510
Clubs/Activities: National English Honor Society, Book Club, Art Club, Reading/Writing, Poetry, Volleyball, Soccer, Basketball, Weightlifting
College planning to attend: University of Central Florida
Planned major or future career: Neuroscience
Best thing about high school: The unique personalities and people that I got to know over the years. My friends mean so much to me.
Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation
1. Diana Bisekeeva
GPA: 4.59
Clubs/Activities: GPS Robotics (VEX & FIRST Team), Founder & Pres. of ResuPrep, Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer, GPS Connect Outreach Founder & Pres., R:ED Robotics Education Software Engineer Intern, Mediacube UI/UX Designer Intern, The TCK Times Founder & Editor-in-Chief, NHS President, Science NHS, Women of Tomorrow, Math Peer Tutor, Varsity Tennis
College planning to attend: Univ. of Florida
Planned major or future career: Industrial & Systems Engineering
Best thing about high school: The connections you build with your peers.
2. Sarah Streeter
GPA: 4.34
Clubs/Activities: Editor-in-Chief of yearbook, Officer of FFA, SGA representative, Dual Enrollment Student
College planning to attend: Georgia State University
Planned major or future career: Neurology (pre-med)
Best thing about high school: The opportunity to connect with your peers and enjoy your youth together in one place.
3. Nolan Correa
GPA: 4.46
Clubs/Activities: Volunteer at Star Academy
College planning to attend: Pasco Hernando State College
Planned major or future career: Radiology
Best thing about high school: The overall freedom that you have.
4. Rudra Patel
GPA: 4.40
Clubs/Activities: Chess Club, math tutor, Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation News
College planning to attend: Florida Polytechnic University
Planned major or future career: Computer or Cybersecurity Engineering
Best thing about high school: The people you meet.
5. Giovanni Ventilato
GPA: 4.40
Clubs/Activities: Health & Fitness Club, Church activities
College planning to attend: University of South Florida
Planned major or future career: Aerospace engineering
Best thing about high school: Having a good amount of freedom.
6. Donovan Arteaga
GPA: 4.55
Clubs/Activities: National Honor Society member, Flower power club member
College planning to attend: University of South Florida
Planned major or future career: Chemical engineering
Best thing about high school: The friends you make and the people you meet.
7. Alexi Sanchez
GPA: 4.49
Clubs/Activities: NHS, Volunteer at Marine Corps League & Special Olympics, initiated a program to promote oral health to underprivileged children, participated in World Stride Educational Travel-STEM & Cultural Immersion program, dual enrollment student at Pasco Hernando State College, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society
College planning to attend: Univ. of Florida
Planned major or future career: Biology (pre-med)
Best thing about high school: Hanging out with friends.
8. Jansen Warren
GPA: 4.34
Clubs/Activities: Volunteering at Kirkland Ranch K-8
College planning to attend: Pasco Hernando State College
Planned major or future career: Computer Science
Best thing about high school: Spending time with friends.
9. Camden Chase
GPA: 4.42
Clubs/Activities: Soccer, Student Government Vice President, NHS Officer, Health and Fitness Club Member, Dual Enrollment Student
College planning to attend: University of Florida
Planned major or future career: Finance
Best thing about high school: Figuring out what you want to do in the future.
College planning to attend: Pasco Hernando State College
Planned major or future career: Business
Best thing about high school: The ability to branch off and learn more about yourself.
11. Dalyn Brown
GPA: 4.54
Clubs/Activities: Dual Enrollment Student at Pasco Hernando State College, earned Associate of Arts, Track & Field Athlete, Volunteer: AdventHealth, Employed Student, National Future Medical Leaders Conference, National Society of High Scholars
College planning to attend: Univ. of Florida
Planned major or future career: Pre-Med/ Biomedical Sciences
Best thing about high school: The friendships and company you keep, along with the memories you make, define your journey through these four years.
College planning to attend: University of South Florida
Planned major or future career: Biomedical science/neuroscience Pre-Health USF
Best thing about high school: All the friends I made and the labs I participated in at KRAI’s Biomedical Science program.
13. Tessa Mast
GPA: 3.92 (unweighted)
Clubs/Activities: Bowling
College planning to attend: University of Central Florida
Planned major or future career: Business (pre-accounting)
Best thing about high school: Getting real-world experiences and skills through the programs at Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation.
Wesley Chapel High School
Wesley Chapel High’s Top-10 Graduating Seniors are (l.-r.) Caique Santos-Silva, Sean Donahue, Luiza Guryeva, Maya Almodovar, Pierre-Etienne Boisvert, Erin McDermott, Filipp Ramsey, Nikki Watson and Ming Yang. Not pictured here: Luanna Mineiro De Souza. (Group photo provided by Wesley Chapel High)
1. Sean Donahue, Valedictorian
GPA: 4.7213
Clubs/Activities: Eagle Scout, Debate Club Co-founder, IPPF Policy Debate, Lacrosse, SAT & Elementary Tutor, NHS Vice President, AP Capstone Diploma
College planning to attend: Yale University
Planned major or future career: Computer Sci.
Best thing about high school: Away games with the lacrosse team
2. Pierre-Etienne Boisvert, Salutatorian
GPA: 4.71
Clubs/Activities: Taught myself how to program and make video games, AP Capstone Diploma
College planning to attend: Univ. of Florida
Planned major or future career: Physics
Best thing about high school: How much I was able to test my own skills and limits, pushing myself further and further every day to accomplish goals.
3. Luanna Mineiro De Souza
GPA: 4.68
Clubs/Activities: Associate of Arts degree at PHSC through Dual Enrollment
College planning to attend: Pasco Hernando State College’s Nursing Program
Planned major/future career: Nurse Anesthetist
Best thing about high school: Going to volleyball and football games with my friends and enjoying the school spirit!
4. Filipp Ramsey
GPA: 4.67
Clubs/Activities: Programming/Game development, AP Capstone Diploma
College planning to attend: USF
Planned major or future career: Computer sci.
Best thing about high school: Opportunity to learn alongside some of the smartest and hardest-working students I have met.
5. Caique Santos-Silva
GPA: 4.65
Clubs/Activities: VP of WCHS Business & Finance Club, Secretary of NHS, Secretary of Science NHS, FCA Member, Varsity Lacrosse, AP Capstone Diploma, Associate of Arts degree at PHSC through Dual Enrollment
College planning to attend: University of Florida Honors
Planned major or future career: Business Administration or Accounting
Best thing about high school: Meeting all my friends and the staff. I continuously grew as a person, and so did those around me. I found people who pushed me to improve and held me accountable in all the things I do. I doubt that I would be who I am now without all those who kept me laughing, smiling and working hard.
6. Maya Almodovar
GPA: 4.63
Clubs/Activities: Dance teacher, tutor, receptionist, barista, Rho Kappa (president), NEHS (vice president) & NEHS (member), Earned my Associate of Arts degree at PHSC through Dual Enrollment
College planning to attend: University of Florida
Planned major or future career: Civil Rights Lawyer
Best thing about high school: Having the opportunity to attend USF my senior year.
7. Nikki Watson
GPA: 4.62
Clubs/Activities: Golf (First Tee team and players club), Band, including marching band as drum major and playing flute, wind ensemble playing flute and piccolo, and concert band playing trumpet, NHS, Associate of Arts degree at PHSC through Dual Enrollment
College planning to attend: Univ. of Florida
Planned major or future career: Biology with a specialization in Biotechnology
Best thing about high school: Finding a ‘family’ in the band and also finding who I really am through all of my experiences. Making it as drum major in my senior year, and making friends with everyone. Everyone is growing in life just like you, so you can always find people that you connect with.
8. Ming Yang
GPA: 4.62
Clubs/Activities: Clean Earth Club, National Honors Society, Tennis AP Capstone Diploma
College planning to attend: University of Pennsylvania or Brown University
Planned major or future career: Physics
Best Thing About High School: The amazing people I met, both peers and teachers, that made school enjoyable.
9. Erin McDermott
GPA: 4.608
Clubs/Activities: Club Gymnastics, NHS, Wesley Chapel Dance Program, AP Capstone Diploma, Anne Frank Humanitarian Award
College planning to attend: United States Air Force Academy
Planned major or future career: Biology/Pre- Health Professions. I plan to become a Flight Surgeon.
Best thing about high school: Meeting all of my best friends.
10. Luiza Guryeva
GPA: UW: 3.98/ W: 4.56
Clubs/Activities: ResuPrep Startup Founder & CEO, Florida Founder & Executive of Active Hearts Association, GPS Robotics Business Lead for FIRST Competition, author of Comparative Case Study on Immigrant Entrepreneurship, Market Research Website & Analysis Report Creator, Founder and President of Business & Finance Club, Team Leader & Strategy Coordinator for Wharton Global Investment Competition, Calaton Systems Business Development Manager Trainee, Varsity Tennis, AP Capstone Diploma
College planning to attend: Georgetown University
Planned major or future career: Finance
Best thing about high school: Hospital visits with the Active Hearts Association club.
Wiregrass Ranch High School
Wiregrass Ranch High’s High’s Top-16 Graduating Seniors are (l.-r.) L to R: Vedanti Patel, Sydney Ficks, Nicholas Kovacs, Vishnu Araveeti, Daniel Cheng, Rohit Naras, Tristan Pasquale, Ian Kim, Austin McCallister, Jack Flanary, Aubrey McKeon, Nicollette Watson, Brenden Brewer, Vera Zheng, Darren Lin & Hunter Paladio. (Group photo provided by Wiregrass Ranch
1. Austin McCallister, Valedictorian
GPA: 4.75
Clubs/Activities: Science Olympiad
College planning to attend: Georgia Institute of Technology
Planned major or future career: Computer Engineering
Best thing about high school: Mr. Cuviello’s and Mr. Cordero’s science labs.
2. Nicholas Kovacs, Salutatorian
GPA: 4.7302
Clubs/Activities: Studying, focusing on academics
College planning to attend: USF
Planned major or future career: Mechanical Engineering
Best thing about high school: Meeting people. If I hadn’t attended high school, I wouldn’t have met all these other bright students. I am hoping we can all stay in contact.
3. Ian Kim
GPA: 4.69
Clubs/Activities: Science Fair, Science Olympiad, Orchestra, Mu Alpha Theta, FBLA, Tri-M, Science National Honor Society
College planning to attend: California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
Planned major or future career: Electrical Engineering
Best thing about high school: Hanging out with friends and Mr. Cordero in AP Physics every day.
4. Daniel Cheng
GPA: 4.6897
Clubs/Activities: Future Business Leaders of America, Cybersecurity Club, Mu Alpha Theta, National Honor Society, Students Against Destructive Decisions, Piano, Volunteer at MD Oriental Market
College Planning to Attend: Univ. of Florida
Planned major or future career: Computer Science or Computer Engineering
Best Thing about High School: Collecting memories, not just homework.
5. Vishnu Araveeti
GPA: 4.6639
Clubs/Activities: FBLA, Science Olympiad; I also ran a commerce business.
College planning to attend: Univ. of Florida
Planned major or future career: Data science/ Computer Science
Best thing about high school: Having great teachers to learn from and creating many friends.
6. Aubrey McKeon
GPA: 4.6591
Clubs/Activities: Tutored for math & science honors societies, leadership in music honors society, 9 years of choir, FMEA’s All-State Chorus, member of the Science Olympiad team
College planning to attend: University of Central Florida
Planned major or future career: Aerospace Engineering
Best thing about high school: Friends and relationships you create along the way.
7. Rohit Naras
GPA: 4.6604
Clubs/Activities: FBLA, Science Olympiad, Varsity Tennis, Research
College planning to attend: Georgia Institute of Technology
Planned major or future career: Computer engineering, hopes to start my own tech company
Best thing about high school: Having genuine fun with my friends inside & outside of the classroom.
8. Darren Lin
GPA: 4.6346
Clubs/Activities: Mu Alpha Theta, Key Club, FBLA, Asian Association &Allies, Amnesty Int’l.
College planning to attend: Univ. of Florida
Planned major or future career: Mechanical Engineering
Best thing about high school: It’s a great place to meet good people who share your values
9. Vera Zheng
GPA: 4.6296
Clubs/Activities: Mu Alpha Theta, Key Club, FBLA, Asian Association & Allies, Amnesty Int’l.
College planning to attend: Univ. of Florida
Planned major or future career: Computer Science
Best thing about high school: Getting to find new friends and hanging out with them.
10. Krish Patel
GPA: 4.6207
Clubs/Activities: SHNS tutoring, FBLA, HOSA & Key Club, Passion project to showcase the benefits of vegetarianism for the body & the environment, helped coordinate the first-ever fire ritual for youths to honor the largest Hindu temple outside of India.
College planning to attend: University of Florida
Planned major or future career: Microbiology and Cell Science (Medical Career)
Best thing about high school: All the friends and memories that you can make before heading to college.
Editor’s Note – We appreciate that all four local high schools provided us with the photos and information you see on these pages. We have no idea why some schools provided more than their top-10 graduating seniors, why some of the students’ photos were not provided nor why the students’ GPAs at Kirkland Ranch appear to be out of order. All we’ve done is provide an outlet for each school to provide their photos & information.
