Serenity plans to attend Western Carolina University, where she’ll double major in Spanish and Communication Sciences and Disorders with a potential minor in ASL studies. She plans on using her degree to become a pediatric occupational therapist.
At Grimsley, her favorite tradition was spirit week. She enjoyed dressing wackily for the whole week without being judged, especially on Page Prep day. She also enjoyed hearing the alma mater sung each week as a farewell until Monday, saying
that these traditions bring pride and unity to the school.
Though Serenity hoped that senior prom or graduation would be her most memorable moment from her years at Grimsley, she still had a wealth of other great memories to choose from. She treasured everything from goofy projects with friends to bonding with sports teammates, but ultimately narrowed her favorite memories down to storming the field post the Grimsley-Page football game, being able to play soccer one last time with her sister Sienna in Jamieson stadium, and her senior orchestra concert right before schools closed. Though she wishes she could’ve made more memories, she’s thankful for the ones her friends, teammates, and teachers have already given her.
Serenity had many notable achievements at Grimsley. She completed all thirteen years of the Spanish immersion program, which kept her in touch with her Puerto Rican heritage and enabled her to grow and bond with her classmates all the way from kindergarten to graduation. She also grew as a musician in Grimsley’s orchestra, where she found a true passion for playing the double bass; she plans to continue playing in college. She will also receive the Service-Learning Award with an astounding 400 plus hours of service submitted.
Serenity’s advice to current or rising students is: “Just have fun. Let loose. Stop worrying about always having the perfect grades or perfect attendance—just let loose and have fun. Don’t worry about what other people think. Just be you. I felt like I worried too much about grades and schoolwork and because of it I lost out on perfectly good memories with my friends. And because I was so afraid of what others thought of me, I kept to myself a lot and missed out on even more memories. Yes, school is important, but after you graduate from high school and from college, what would you rather remember? Studying day and night to get good grades or letting go and having fun with friends and family? So, don’t stress about the little things, don’t let your high school memories be flooded with anxiety—live your life and have fun.”
In the future, Serenity looks forward to starting fresh. Stating that she’s struggled in the past to find herself, she looks forward to finding out what makes her herself, to living on her own, and to doing things for herself. She’s most excited for the unpredictability the future brings.
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