New Westminster Christian School graduate Kelsey Mira had a whirlwind few days in May when she and her sister Hailey attended the Miami Herald Silver Knight Awards and then graduation a couple of days later.
Mira was the Westminster Silver Knight nominee in the area of English and Literature.
She was impressed by all the nominees at the Silver Knight ceremony.
“We got to hear their stories and their contributions to the community,” she says. “The kids from Broward did so much to help the families from Marjory Stoneman Douglas. It was really emotional and inspiring.”
At graduation, she led the Pledge of Allegiance at the graduation ceremony.
This summer, before she goes on to Florida State University, Mira will go to Great Lakes, Illinois for three weeks where she’ll attend New Student Indoctrination for incoming Naval ROTC students. After training, she’ll enter NROTC as a midshipman.
“After four years of school, I get my commission as an officer and I’ll serve in the Navy for five years,” she says. “I plan to serve the full 20 years or more.”
The Naval ROTC Tier 3 scholarship she received is only offered to 20-30 students each year, nationwide.
“I was very honored to be a recipient of it,” she says.
After a year at FSU, Mira plans to apply for the U.S. Naval Academy. She had applied but it didn’t work out for entry in the fall. She is able to reapply for the Class of 2024.
Mira is considering becoming a doctor. She said she was told that there is a need for doctors and medics in the service.
While at Westminster, her biggest community service project was being a Bake-A-Wish member.
“I baked cakes for hundreds of kids around Miami,” she says. “I probably baked at least 200 cakes.”
The cakes would be delivered the week of their birthday. Bake-A-Wish members would bake the cakes a month at a time. She and her sister were usually assigned the same months.
“There are three pans. I’d bake three and she’d bake three,” she says. “Nine cakes weekly on average. Some months have more birthdays.”
The cakes were decorated with chocolate frosting drizzled over white cake. Usually the organization president delivered the cakes but she got to go along multiple times.
“The children are so excited,” she says. “A lot of times, they don’t get a birthday cake. It’s a very happy moment.”
At school, she participated in Orchestra Buddies, where the chamber orchestra members would teach 30 or so fourth and fifth graders each Thursday. Mira says they showed the kids what hard work and practice could lead up to.
Mira was also involved in the National Honor Society, the Foreign Language Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, Rho Kappa and Tri-M, the music honor society. She was treasurer of the National English Honor Society and the Science National Honor Society.
She was also a Student Council Executive Board Member and co-head of the community service and club committee. The committee organized, executed, and participated in a variety of community service.
“I’ve enjoyed doing it so much and it’s really helped me develop my leadership skills,” she says.
Mira was a three-sport athlete at Westminster, playing soccer and running cross country and track and field. In cross country, she’s contributed to five district titles and four regional titles and helped the team qualify for states.
In track and field, she ran the 800 and the mile from sixth to eleventh grade.
Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
