Coral Gables High senior Ashley Cruz is happy to be graduating from Gables. She started at another high school, was the freshman class treasurer but didn’t feel at home. When she transferred to Gables she felt at home.
“At Coral Gables they give you more of a chance to be involved in student government,” she said. “I really tried to help them as much as I could. They were very welcoming.”
Cruz got involved in the junior class and volunteered as much as she could. She joined the National Spanish Honor Society and Mu Alpha
Theta. She volunteered as a tutor.
Today, she is the student council treasurer and works with two other treasurers to handle the job.
“Our title is much more than money and selling,” she said. “We all take a part in what we do in the activities.”
She also is on the tennis team. The season began in February and ends in mid-April.
“The Gables team has gotten progressively better,” Cruz said. “The first year there was only one girl who was good apart from myself.”
The second year, the team went to the state tournament where Cruz played singles.
Being at Gables has allowed her to take numerous dual enrollment classes. Those classes earn her both high school and college credits. This year she is taking four: American Government, Political Theory, English101 and English 102. The courses are done through Florida International University.
For college, she’s interested in the STEM field but political science as well.
“I think my main conflict is not knowing which side to choose,” she said.
Cruz is weighing whether to take political science, chemistry or computer programming.
“A year ago, I had no idea what was going on in politics,” she said. “Taking this dual enrollment course has caught my attention.”
She has been accepted to several colleges but is waiting for a few more before making a decision on where to go and which major to
take.
— Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
