One of the most highly regarded mini-scholarships in the Broward and Miami-Dade Counties is the ‘Silver Knight Scholarship’, which is sponsored by the Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald. Out of 742 Seniors from 115 Schools in Southwestern Florida, one student wins in each of the fifteen categories, producing a total of fifteen winners across the counties. The award is worth much more than the $2,000 and 25,000 American Airlines miles given to the students; the silver trophy is given in recognition of determined students who show a strong passion in a certain area of focus. Gables High is very proud to present its nominees for the 2018-2019 school year:

Sports:

Over the past four years, Max Rego has been active in the school’s sports scene. He played on the basketball team his freshman and sophomore year and is the captain of the boys’ golf team where he has competed all four years. When he began golf seven years ago, he never would have expected to fall in love with the sport. Looking back, he realizes the important role sports has played in his life. Through his love for golf and service, Rego traveled to Cuba where he donated several golf clubs. In addition to the donation, Rego also held various clinics where he taught those interested how to maneuver the clubs and play the sport. He has taken an active role in service clubs such as Best Buddies and National Honors Society (NHS) and looks forward to making an impact in the lives of others. A blend of academics, interests, and personality makes him the perfect fit for such a prestigious nomination.

“Golf is a sport where self-motivation is crucial, and that is what makes me so passionate about it. Passion is key in life, and I hope to be able to improve the lives of others by helping them in finding their passion,” senior Max Rego said.

General Scholarship:

As the president of the student council and Best Buddies, Thomas Harley serves as a role model for all members of the student body.

He embodies all of the qualities that define a Cavalier- hardworking, involved, and kind. Serving as one our very own copy editors, Harley maintains an active role on campus in every way imaginable, from academics to clubs to sports. Harley excels in sports, as he has been both the quarterback and receiver on the varsity football team, and he plays on the frisbee team. His role in school activities only proves to how incredibly well-rounded Harley is. Harley’s project became possible when he proposed his idea of a Best Buddies room to the International Baccalaureate Honor Society (IBHS) as a Bridge4Peace proposal. When his idea was chosen as the yearly cause, he worked with the IBHS team to fundraise their goal of over $12,000 to build a room where the Buddies could go and visit whenever they needed space or time away from stresses of the day. Thanks to Harley, the Buddies alongside their friends will have a comfortable space on campus.

Science:

From a young age, Sophie Sepehri has been very passionate about science. Her curiosity for the world in which we live in has led her to take rigorous courses such as International Baccalaureate (IB) Standard Level Chemistry, and Higher Level IB Biology, which is usually not expected of students. Sepehri values science as much as she does its real-life application, which further fuels her passion for the natural sciences. While not set on a specific field she would like to study, Sepehri hopes to be able to pursue a career in the scientific field. Aside from her academic life, Sepheri prides herself in connecting and helping others. Her main focus is on Syrian refugees and helping them assimilate to American culture while staying in touch with their roots. Sepheri has taken the initiative of meeting with them and helping these students with their academics and teaching them more about American culture in hopes they feel more at home.

Social Sciences:

Nikita Leus-Oliva’s passion for politics ensued at a very young age. When she realized that everyday life is heavily impacted by politicians and their decisions, she decided to take action. Fueled by Hillary’s loss in the 2016 elections, Leus-Oliva began Miami Dade Teen Democrats with Gables alumnus William Breslin. She went on to found the Political Activism and Civic Engagement Club at Coral Gables High, a non-partisan club which encourages students to get involved in political campaigns that align with their own personal views. When not spending time at local political campaigns, Nikita Leus-Oliva enjoys relaxing and spending time with her cats Tom, Chicken Nugget, and Bebu.

Speech:

Speech has played a very important role in Cristian Ochoa’s life. He first joined the Mock Trial and Model United Nations (MUN) his 6th-grade year at his middle school and has since been passionate about being heard and allowing others to be heard. To give voice to other students as passionate as he is about speech, he founded the MUN club at the school and has since served as president of MUN and the Speech & Debate club. During his senior year at Gables, Ochoa hopes to leave behind a club that thrives off of the positive energy of other students that love sharing and arguing ideas as much as he does. Ochoa also embodies the traits of a leader as he serves on several other club boards, most notably senior class treasurer.

English:

Despite his nomination for the English category, Jordan Morejon’s project began in a non-English speaking country. Throughout his high school career, he spent his summers in Northern Italy teaching children English with books he provided. During the time Morejon spent with the students, he discovered his passion for teaching and traveling. Despite being an IB student,  a student-athlete, and president of HIP, Morejon uses the little free time he has to help others in his community. Morejon hopes to be able to combine his greatest passions, helping others and traveling, and study biochemistry with a minor in International studies before going on to medical school.

Mathematics:

Jiyansh Agarwal’s passion for science began at a young age. His mother was a scientist and he was constantly fascinated by what she did. Agarwal’s passion was fueled by middle school teachers who pushed him to grow. His natural talent led him to competitions which he and his team would often win. In school, he takes IB Higher Level Mathematics to challenge himself and expand his knowledge. Even in his free time, Agarwal likes investigating different topics surrounding science and learning. Now as he is planning his future, Agarwal is sure that he wants to pursue his passion and become an engineer. For his project, Argawal helped the Shenandoah Elementary School with their robotics club in terms of explaining all aspects of running and maintaining an efficient club. Aside from helping them build up their club, Argawal and a few friends taught them how to build the robots, program them and then helped the students get their finished projects to competitions!

“I like how math is objective- you can tell if you are right or wrong immediately. I also like learning how the world works, and by becoming an engineer, I can make the world a better place and also pursue my passion,” senior Jiyansh Argawal said.

Vocational Technical

When he came from Cuba two years ago, Rey Leon did not expect American high school to be as hectic as it is. In his advanced placement courses, Rey Leon realized that he was not the only one stressed out. Through Interact, Leon began an initiative that brings therapy dogs to school to aid stressed-out students, which received many positive reviews. He then decided to take this initiative to nursing homes where he makes the elders feel more cared for. Besides this project, Leon also takes an active role in NHS, Future Business Leaders of America, and “La Liga Contra el Cáncer”. Leon plans to study business management and accounting in the future with a possible interest in psychology.

Foreign Language:

For Natalia Rodriguez, helping others has always been a part of her life. Encouraged by her Colombian roots, she decided to take part in a project that would benefit the locals in Sonsón, Colombia. This foundation, named “El Hogar Juvenil Teresa Toda”, is a home for underprivileged girls run by nuns. The home also provides food, shelter, and mentorship for the girls. Rodriguez contributes to the foundation with the collecting supplies in the form of clothes, school materials, and monetary donations. Rodriguez also holds an active role on the Gables’ campus–she is co-captain of the Track and Field team, Reviews editor for CavsConnect, and an FBLA board member. Most recently, Rodriguez founded the French Honor Society, where she hopes to give students an educational experience in the Francophone world outside of regular class hours. In the future, she hopes to study plant biology, as she is fascinated by the way the natural world functions.