As the new year approaches, many Cavaliers are looking for a fresh start. Whether it is to travel more, spend more time with family, or study more, they each have our own New Year’s resolutions and goals for the decade that is upon us.

For freshman Beatriz Cruz, she already has set many goals and New Year’s resolutions for 2020, including being more appreciative of life and having a more positive outlook in general. Cruz wants to disconnect more from the social media world and looks to connect with others in person. She hopes to work out more, be more outgoing and try new things. With these changes in her daily life, Cruz hopes to have a very healthy and strong start to 2020.

Mariana Gutierrez says that if her freshman year of high school taught her anything, it was to better learn how to manage her time. Having her first couple of months of high school under her belt, she hopes to face the remaining weeks with productivity, but with an emphasis on resting more. Gutierrez’s main goal is to disconnect from her phone and other electronics to enjoy her time with family and friends. She hopes to simply enjoy life.

However, some Cavaliers are more focused on their overall health. For sophomore Sabrina Bonavita, she wants her 2020 to be as healthy as possible. Bonavita claims she wants to start treating her body “like a temple,” and eat plenty of healthy foods, cutting any and all food that would she would deem “unhealthy” out of her diet. She wants to stay hydrated and work on strengthening her core on a regular basis to better her running.

Bonavita is hoping that doing these things will ultimately help strengthen her soccer skills and help her improve her performance on the field. Being a dedicated player, she knows this change in diet will only help her in the long-run. However, she worries about the temptations of a good, old-fashion outing with friends. The thought of crushing her rivals is motivation enough to order a chicken caesar salad instead of a cheeseburger.

Senior Luis Gonzalez wants to keep his friendships and relationships and make them stronger and healthier during 2020. Gonzalez calls this sentimental feeling his “senior year blues.” Another odd goal not many could share is wanting to build his credit. Since Gonzalez turns 18-years-old in 2020, he would like to become more financially independent and responsible. He understands he must begin to learn how to “adult” and, while terrified to do so, he is excited about all of the new opportunities he will be facing soon.

For Gonzalez, another goal he is keeping close to his heart is to enjoy his senior year of high school as much as he can. Although already accepted into his dream college, Gonzalez has spent the last four years building a home at Coral Gables Senior High. He wants to give his home a proper goodbye and he hopes to do so by creating fun memories with his friends and family.

English and Language Arts Teacher Ms. Depaola believes that the old you survived every bad day already and has proven to be a strong-willed individual, willing to overcome any obstacles. In other words, why get rid of the old you, when you can embrace and strengthen the old you into a better version of the new you. Ms. Depaola believes we must continually grow, rather than continually breaking down to try to grow again.

Since returning from the 2020 winter break, there are many Cavaliers working through their New Year’s resolutions; some Cavaliers have already moved on and forgotten about their resolutions. These resolutions are as unique to these individuals as they come. Some of these include eating healthier or choosing to grow from the person they were the previous year, no need for a new you. A new year means an opportunity to have a fresh start with a revitalized mentality. CavsConnect wishes all Cavaliers the best with their New Year’s resolutions. May they be prosperous and fulfilling in the achievement of your yearly goals.