A couple of Saturdays a month, Palmer Trinity sophomore Rohan Myers goes back to school to help underprivileged children get extra help with school.
“I am part of Breakthrough Miami,” he says. “I started my freshman year of high school. I teach an elective course, French, as well as an academic class. I do tutoring.”
Each week, the student teachers are given a lesson plan for their next Saturday session. The idea is to teach the younger students problem solving in the modern world, incorporating math and English into the sessions.
Palmer students can’t work with the program until their freshman year, although Myers wanted to join at the end of middle school.
“It was one of the earliest clubs I joined,” he says. “Even in your freshman year you’re not allowed to teach certain courses. Since I had knowledge I was allowed to teach French in ninth grade since I’ve been taking French since first or second grade.”
He began learning French at the Alexander Montessori School and he’s passionate about French.
“I did take Spanish as well as French,” he says.
When he attended Palmer, he took advanced French.
“I enjoy French so much,” he says. “I’m in eleventh grade honors French. I might have one or two courses left. I’m planning to stay with French as long as possible. Maybe Advanced Placement French next year or AP French Culture.”
Myer is a member of the French Honor Society and so he participates in Palmer’s annual International Festival.
“Every country has its own booth,” he says. “We’ll sell different French baked goods.”
The club also holds croissant and macaroons sales once a month.
“All those funds are sent to Lamacette, Haiti,” he says.
That’s where Palmer’s sister school is located. Palmer students not only send money but go to Lamacette on mission trips to help the villagers there. Students pay a fee to participate in a dress down day to raise money for Haiti and conduct other fundraisers to help. One of the recent fundraisers garnered more than $1,000.
He’s relieved that the village was not wiped out by Hurricane Matthew in October. In fact, the villagers took shelter in the school Palmer students helped build.
He’s also in Tri-M, the music honor society. Because there are so many students who play musical instruments at Palmer, Tri-M is a big club and does many different things including Coffee Houses to raise money.
“The money we collect help us work with other charities and organizations that are related to music,” he says. “We have them every couple of weeks.”
Musical students perform at the Coffee Houses.
“Even if you don’t play an instrument, you are allowed to perform in front of people who want to come,” he says. “If you want to recite poetry, if you want to play instruments, or you could be part of a band. It’s good to see the different talents people have.”
His school activities include being a part of the composting initiative started by a classmate.
“He takes the food and puts it in the compost. You get community service hours if you help transport food to the composter,” he says.
Since he’s only a sophomore, Myers is not yet scheduled for a college tour. However, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been thinking about college.
“It’s always important to think about your future,” he says. “I would like to leave Florida and get more experiences. I’ve always liked to travel.”
Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
