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Miami Palmetto High School senior Gavin Linton has earned hundreds of community service hours by participating in the Pinecrest Police Explorer program.
The police explorers work events at Pinecrest Gardens, Evelyn Greer Park and police parades.
He’s been a member since freshman year, earning the rank of Lieutenant at the end of that year. He is currently the second highest ranked explorer in the program. The highest ranking is company commander, and he may still have the opportunity to achieve that rank.
“I’ve always wanted to live a life of service,” he says. “I knew police explorers could do that. You do all your events, and you help individuals. I want to make thoughtful impacts on people.”
Another way he wants to serve people is by joining the military. He is applying to the service academies including the Naval Academy, West Point and the Air Force Academy. He has already lined up the needed recommendation letters from local Congressional representatives and U.S. Senators and even the vice president.
He plans to major in Nuclear Engineering and possibly Political Science.
“I’m leaning more toward Nuclear Engineering,” he says.
Linton has also earned community service hours coaching swimming with the Miami Riptides. He’s been with the Riptides since sixth grade, when he started playing water polo.
He also taught kids how to play water polo and how to swim over the summer.
In an unusual arrangement, Linton plays water polo for MAST Academy while attending Palmetto.
“I’m going to be the starting goalie,” he says.
He’s able to play for MAST because of a new rule that allows this if the student’s home school doesn’t have the sport they want to play.
He also plays water polo for the Riptides and hopes to play at one of the military academies as a walk on.
He’s happy to be playing since he was injured all summer and had to strengthen his hip flexors.
While Linton plays water polo for MAST, he’s the captain of the Palmetto Swim Team.
His events are the 100 and the 200 freestyle since his prime focus is water polo.
Linton is hoping for a good swim season. Although they lost ten seniors, they do have ten swimmers coming back. Last year, they had eight boys go to the regional championships (including Linton) and one who moved on to the state championship.
Aside from athletics, Linton is also a member of the Palmetto Model United Nations team, a member of the Class of ’26 Cabinet, and a member of the National Honor Society.
Because of water polo, he’s not able to go to Model U.N. competitions, but he goes to all the meetings to help the other members.
“I like diplomacy and talking to one another, like talking to your friends,” he says. “I want to be able to reach a common goal that helps others.”
He did go to the Florida House of Representatives in March and saw what the reps were working on.
Lucy’s Law was one bill he followed. He says he saw how politicians do want to work together to make things better.
While Linton is hopeful he will attend a military academy, he does have a back-up plan. He is applying to the University of Florida, Florida State University and Florida International.
“If I go to a Florida school, I’m going to the ROTC program. I would be in the Navy ROTC, and I would join the Navy as an officer.”
Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
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