Stories written by Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
In the interest of efficiency and cost savings, Miami- Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho re-organized the regions and appointed Dr. Alexis Martinez as superintendent of the South Region. The region covers 99 schools, 430 square miles and more than 100,000 students. “In numbers alone, it would be the 27th largest school district in the United [...]
There are no red states or blue states, just the United States. That was one of the most memorable lines in President Barack Obama’s Nov. 6 speech after winning re-election. That line also is the tag line for a T-shirt design done for the Obama campaign by Pinecrest artist Phil Fung back in June. “It’s [...]
David Scherker’s dream is to go to filmschool in California; UCLA is his top school in California; UCLA is his top choice. So when he learned about the Stop Bullying Video Challenge put out by the Department of Health and Human Services, he decided to enter even though the deadline was less than a week [...]
Palmetto High School senior Chris Fisk Kolychkine has earned an astounding 2,000 community service hours. But that should not be surprising considering that he was consistently involved in extracurricular activities as president of the Class of 2013 before he became the Student Council president. “I’ve been lucky enough to be in student government since I [...]
When she was in the ninth grade, Gulliver Prep junior Meaghan Sylver started TapKidz with her best friend Meagan Adler. This year, they expanded the scope of the organization and created a website www.tapkidz.org. Sylver says they started TapKidz to give back to the community and because schools were cutting extracurricular programs like dance. Along [...]
Libba Bray, whose new book The Diviners has just hit the shelves, will be a featured author at the 2012 Miami Book Fair International Literary Encounters program on Friday, Nov. 16. Bray won the Printz Award for her book Going Bovine about a boy with Mad Cow disease. Bray’s books have all hit the New [...]
Palmetto High School senior Brittany Schiffer has earned her Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards for Girl Scouts. For her Silver Award, she and the members of her troop went to the homeless shelter in Homestead a couple of times a month. “We’d work with the children there and read stories to them or play with [...]
David Scherker’s dream is to go to film school in California — UCLA is his top choice. So when he learned about the Stop Bullying Video Challenge put out by the Department of Health and Human Services, he decided to enter although the deadline was less than a week away. And although the process was [...]
Coral Gables High senior ScarlettPerez has earned more than 800 volunteer Perez has earned more than 800 volunteer hours. Since her freshman year, she has been volunteering at a summer camp at Melrose Elementary for the non-profit organization Regis House. She also volunteers at Melrose in the after school program. She became interested in volunteering [...]
Palmetto High School senior Jose (Jay) Castro is an Eagle Scout. He completed his Eagle Project last November and received his badge at a Court of Honor with several other Boy Scouts during the last school year. Because of his involvement with Boy Scouts, Castro has earned almost 900 hours of community service. “We [...]
Halle Meltzer, a high school senior who attends the School for Advanced Studies at Miami-Dade College, has been honored with the President’s Volunteer Service Award, a national honor for those who inspire others to engage in volunteer service. She earned the award for her work on Symphonettes, an all girls community service club that raises [...]
Palmetto High School senior Amy Lindholm is passionate about History Miami, Miami’s historical museum. She has been interning at the museum and working on the Teen Miami display, which includes a variety of exhibits including Teen Fun Day – Music Scenes: Records and Teens; 1960s Garage Band of South Florida; Teen Miami Memoirs Film Screen [...]
Justin Menendez’s family was devastated when his 13-year-old brother Jason committed suicide a few years ago. Menendez created the JAM Foundation in honor of his brother and set out to alert teens and their friends about the teen suicide crisis. “I was in contact with the medical examiner in Miami-Dade County,” Menendez said. “In 2011, [...]
Palmer Trinity School junior Elliott Harris spent six weeks this summer attending high school. He didn’t mind because he was going to the Alexander Muss High School in Israel. Those six weeks changed his world. “I feel more accepting and tolerant and I feel like I’ve created a bond not only with my religion, but [...]
