As Distance Learning Becomes The New Normal, Families Explore Their Options
The current academic climate is causing many parents to reconsider where and how their children will be educated during the upcoming school year.

To say that the conclusion of the last school year was a bit different is an understatement. While the vast majority of parents and educational leaders prefer students learn in a traditional classroom setting, the rising COVID-19 statistics in South Florida means it will take more time for the “old normal” to return. In the meantime, parents whose children attend public schools are looking at a “new normal.”

Most of these parents will likely accept what is being offered by their home schools, at least in the short term, but some have been exploring their options. Among those options are private schools, private tutors and other options, like Florida Virtual School.

Many private schools in the area, as well as Catholic schools led by the Diocese of Palm Beach, are beginning the school year this month with students on campus, wearing masks and practicing social distancing.

While today’s public school teachers are more than qualified to instruct students sitting in their classrooms, are they ready, prepared and willing to start this new school year like they finished the previous one — working from a remote location, providing online teaching?

Most parents appreciated the work put in by teachers at the end of the last school year, but many also questioned if the educational experience provided was as effective as it needs to be. For his part, Palm Beach County School Superintendent Dr. Donald Fennoy has promised a more robust online learning experience this fall.

For those public school parents who are not comfortable with the new normal, there’s an alternative, which is a tried, tested, respected, established and proven online option — Florida Virtual School (FLVS), a 180-day calendar of online public schooling, which provides flexibility of learning for students in all grades.

It’s worth noting that when registering with FLVS full time, it becomes the student’s primary school of record. Individual FLVS classes, however, can be taken through the child’s home school. There is also a similar online portal provided by the School District of Palm Beach County, known as Palm Beach Virtual School.

FLVS has been around for more than 20 years, starting in 1997. The price is right, too. Since it is a public school open to all Florida residents, there is no charge to enroll in FLVS.

“We are considered part of Florida’s public school system,” said Tania Clow, communications manager for FLVS.

At Florida Virtual School (www.flvs.net), students are getting the full academic experience. In the virtual classroom, nearly 200 courses are taught, ranging from algebra and biology to AP history and Spanish. Florida Virtual School teaches a wide range of students — from kindergarten to high school. It has long been popular with students who do not thrive in traditional public school settings.

There’s more to FLVS than what is taught online. Outside the virtual classroom, students also have access to more than 55 online student clubs and activities.

Additionally, one of its benefits is that students can choose to learn on their own schedules. That flexibility is important in a household where multiple family members may be on-the-go, such as high-level athletes and others who spend much of the year elsewhere.

With Florida Virtual School, the system still provides one-on-one personal instruction from certified teachers. Another plus is that students can work ahead, stay on target with their peers in the traditional school system or get back on track through the FLVS Flex program, if they fall behind in their studies for one reason or another.

Clearly, the public schools, private schools and virtual schools are competing for the same students, especially now, since so many students are being taught online this fall, and possibly into 2021.

The competition for students in Florida is significant. According to the FLVS web site, 215,505 students were taught by Florida Virtual School in the 2018-19 school year. Not surprisingly, the registration numbers have risen in recent months.

“Comparing year over year, Florida Virtual School has seen a 71 percent increase in FLVS Flex applications since July 1, and a 66 percent increase in applications for FLVS Full Time since registration opened in March,” Clow said. “There has also been an increase in inquiries from parents with younger children, researching online options for children in grades kindergarten to grade five. We encourage all parents to visit www.flvs.net for more information on our comprehensive curriculum and supportive teachers.”

While enrollment for FLVS Full Time for the upcoming school year closed July 31, enrollment for FLVS Flex is open all year round.

With FLVS Flex, students in kindergarten through 12th grade can take one course or multiple courses to supplement their education.

One of the strongest qualities of an FLVS teacher is the specialized training to communicate and interact with students, despite being in distant locations.

“Communication is very important and is a focus of the extensive training all FLVS teachers receive. We believe that supportive and effective communication should be evident throughout a student’s experience, especially in a virtual environment,” explained Jason Schultz, senior director of instruction for Florida Virtual School. “It is important that we know each child and their unique learning styles in order to support them in a meaningful way.”

While some students can thrive moving through the course more independently, others need a more individualized approach, working one-on-one with their teacher, he added.

“Some students may learn best in a group live lesson, while others benefit from a more personalized approach,” Schultz said. “Having a positive working relationship with our students and families, knowing what works for them individually, and personalizing their educational experience with us is so important in creating a successful online learning environment.”

The FLVS system has been designed to enable students to easily ask their teachers follow-up questions.

“FLVS offers live lessons within the courses, teaching the material in real time using a video conference platform. Students can engage and ask questions during the live lessons,” Schultz said. “Students can also reach out to teachers at any point when they are in need of assistance, additional resources, or need to talk with their teacher. FLVS teachers return all student e-mails, phone calls and text messages within 24 hours.”

As of mid-July, the School District of Palm Beach County was still finalizing its plans for the new academic year.

According to Fennoy, a panel of health experts has suggested that Palm Beach County public schools remain closed to on-campus learning until the rate of new COVID-19 cases shows a significant decline. Fennoy supports the school year beginning with distance learning for all students, allowing for a phased return to brick-and-mortar, in-person instruction when county health conditions permit.

To support its decision, the school district will be distributing more than 82,000 laptop computers to students who need one and is also working to make WiFi more readily available to students living in homes without Internet access. Once finalized, the school district’s plan will need to be approved by the Florida Department of Education, which has a policy preference that public school districts open the brick-and-mortar schools for students five days a week.

Fennoy’s plan sends students back to the classroom based on the state’s re-opening phases. Phase 1 is all online, since Palm Beach County, like Broward and Miami-Dade, remains in a Phase 1 re-opening. Students will begin returning to campus, divided up by grade level, once Palm Beach County moves into Phase 2.

In nearby counties, there’s a mix of on-campus learning and virtual instruction. For example, in Martin County, students return to school on Aug. 10 in person, wearing masks. However, families are also being given an online option.

Visit www.palmbeachschools.org to learn more about the school district’s plans. Learn more about Florida Virtual School at www.flvs.net. 

Two Students From Wellington Selected For Prestigious Bank Of America Program
Two high school students from Wellington, Katherine Oung and Ashley Kulberg, have been selected as part of this year’s Bank of America Student Leaders program.

The six-week paid summer internship program will help strengthen the students’ leadership abilities, civic engagement and workforce skills-building. In light of the health concerns that remain in local communities, the program, which gathers more than 300 high school students across the country, has been adapted to a virtual format, through which students will have the opportunity to participate in sessions that will expose them to the vital role that nonprofits play in advancing community health, the importance of public-private partnerships to advance social change and a focus on building financial acumen.

The Student Leaders will participate in programming that leverages Bank of America’s national partnerships and expertise and will work closely with the bank’s Palm Beach County leadership and nonprofit partners. They will participate in a collaborative, mentoring-focused project working closely with Communities in Schools of Palm Beach County to develop and deliver a social media strategy to support the organization’s efforts.

“Now, more than ever, as we collectively navigate the challenges we face in our communities, we remain committed to supporting youth and young adults of all backgrounds by connecting them to jobs, skills-building and leadership development,” said Fabiola Brumley, Bank of America’s Palm Beach County market president and vice chairman, business banking. “Creating opportunities for our youth to gain skills and build a network is a powerful investment in the future of our community.”

Through her experiences as an intern for Congresswoman Lois Frankel, the captain of her speech and debate team and the first non-collegiate lead writer for a volunteer-run newsroom, Katherine Oung has seen and heard firsthand about wealth inequality in her own community. Now, she’s working in real time to address these issues and level the playing field for her neighbors.

Oung believes in the power of volunteering to build connections that will serve as a tool to ignite meaningful change, especially within her local community. Because of her dedication and exceptional leadership qualities, the rising senior at the A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts has been selected for the Student Leader program.

She has spent hundreds of hours educating her peers and managing the 50-member staff at Balance the Ballot, a student-run organization with the goal of raising awareness for current global issues and getting youth more involved in and informed about politics. As a lead writer, she spearheaded an initiative to facilitate voter registration in 2018. Her South Florida region registered 200 people, and the event was so successful that it will continue leading up to this year’s election.

Oung recently penned an op-ed for The New York Times entitled “Coronavirus Racism Infected My High School,” which discussed her personal experiences with racism as an Asian American amid the rise of COVID-19.

As a counselor at Arts Reaching Out to Society Camp for the past three years, Oung helped to organize Jefferson Jubilee, a holiday event donating gifts to underprivileged children. She also served as a mentor for Beyond Resolved, a student-led speech and debate organization, where she supports, advocates and raises awareness for marginalized high school students.

Through her internship with Frankel, Oung immersed herself in the needs of her community by participating in events, meeting with area residents and leaders, and listening to their stories to better promote their needs.  She has also dedicated more than 100 hours to local organizations, serving as a volunteer at the Soup Kitchen of Boynton Beach, a volunteer attorney and jury member for Youth Court, and a foster parent for the Peggy Adams Animal Shelter.

Oung aspires to one day tackle wealth inequality through government work or as an attorney. Currently, she plans to continue her passion for freelance journalism, as she believes accurate reporting is the best way to spread knowledge as a means of power.

As a student attending an elite private school, Ashley Kulberg understands her position of privilege and uses it as an opportunity to give back to her local community, while also helping on a global scale.

The rising senior at the American Heritage School in Delray Beach works to sponsor the education and frequent communication, through pen pal relationships, with her international peers as vice president of her high school chapter of Education Rocks. Last summer, she had the opportunity to travel to Bali and witness her impact firsthand after meeting her pen pal, Yuni, who is not afforded the same luxuries.

In addition to her international travels, Kulberg has dedicated hundreds of hours to participating in the varsity speech and debate team and mentoring the novice teams, which are comprised of debaters from ninth grade and middle school.

It was through these experiences that she found her voice, which she uses to advance political dialogue and spread ideas.

When she’s not writing to Yuni or supporting her debate team, Kulberg works as a student organizer for TEDxYouth, an event series encouraging conversation around “worth-spreading ideas.” In September 2019, she presented a proposal to faculty, then coordinated auditions, practices, ticket sales and all necessary components to put on the inaugural event.

Kulberg has also demonstrated her exceptional leadership skills and dedication to her professional development as a competitor for her high school’s chapter of the Future Business Leaders of America, the largest business student organization in the world; a policy research fellow for Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer; and her involvement in her religious community as a volunteer for her synagogue summer camp.

Kulberg is dedicated to addressing the challenges in her community. As a Bank of America Student Leader, she hopes to use this new opportunity to propel herself up the ladder of influence to spark positive change in her community.

Learn more about the Student Leaders program at www.bankofamerica.com/studentleaders.

 

New Independent Living Community Wellington Bay Is Now Under Construction

Wellington Bay, an independent living community near the Mall at Wellington Green, is now under construction, offering seniors a great option to live life to its fullest in a maintenance-free lifestyle.

Wellington Bay Director of Sales & Marketing Wendy Paige is excited to offer this lifestyle concept to the community.

“Senior living is such a great option,” she said, adding that Liberty Senior Living, the developer and owner of Wellington Bay, offers an environment that simplifies day-to-day living for residents. “It’s such a great company, concept and senior living community. It means so much to me when children of our residents come and thank me for helping their mom or dad. They often say that many become more active again.”

Paige has been in the South Florida area for 16 years. She recently moved to Wellington from Jupiter.

“I enjoy the people and the community so much, I just bought a house in Wellington myself,” she said. “I got started in senior living by helping my parents find their retirement move, 15 years ago. I enjoyed helping them and learning about this option along the way, so I changed my career and have sold senior living ever since.”

Paige has represented all levels along the senior living spectrum: independent living, assisted living and memory care.

Married to her husband, Craig Watson, a PGA member who coaches the mens and womens golf teams at Palm Beach Atlantic University, the couple have five kids and seven grandchildren, including a set of twins. “We are a golfing family, but I am excited to learn more and get involved in the equestrian side of Wellington,” Paige said.

Nowadays, much of her time is spent in her vocation, representing her passion, Wellington Bay.

“It is the only independent living community in Wellington,” Paige said. “We will offer seniors a great option to live life to its fullest while simplifying the burden of living independently with many flexible programs.”

She looks forward to stewarding Wellington Bay from its construction into a living, breathing community of residents.

“When a resident decides to live in Wellington Bay, the entire property becomes their home, so no one has to give up anything by selling their house,” Paige said. “Seniors can choose from three distinct lifestyle choices in apartment homes, garden flats or villas, all in a no-hassle, maintenance-free lifestyle.”

Paige also noted the many different services and programs at the resort-style Wellington Bay community.

“Our whole-person wellness program promotes personal health and fitness,” she said. “We will offer a true indulgence of an on-site spa, beach-entry outdoor pool — while also having an indoor pool for those days when that might be a resident’s preference.”

The 65,000-square-foot Wellington Bay clubhouse features a bar, multiple dining options, billiards table, card rooms, a library, an art room and much more. “On our grounds, we will also have bocce ball, pickle ball, great spaces for walking and residents can even fish in our lakes,” Paige said.

A key benefit of Wellington Bay is the quality of the lifestyle.

“We want our residents to stay independent as long as possible. We take care of many items for them that have simply become more of an unwanted burden,” said Paige, giving examples with the weekly housekeeping, flexible dining program, transportation and all the requirements of home maintenance. “They are all part of the monthly rent, and our Wellington Bay concierge-style service is just a phone call away, to direct or help with any of the residents’ needs.”

As an upscale independent living community in the heart of Wellington, Wellington Bay will provide a place for seniors to move when they tire of taking care of a single-family home, without having to leave the community they love. “At Wellington Bay, they can continue to live an active lifestyle filled with a variety of social, recreational, cultural and educational possibilities every day,” Paige explained.

While Wellington Bay is new, the company behind it has a long-established and award-winning reputation in the industry.

“All of the other Liberty communities have been identified as Best Places to Work. Our South Bay campus in South Carolina has been recognized as a Charleston’s Choice, and Carolina Bay has been recognized as one of the Great Places to Live,” Paige noted.

She said that she couldn’t be more pleased about the location of the new Wellington Bay Senior Living campus. “All the businesses and people have been so friendly in Wellington, and this has to be the best chamber I have ever been involved with,” she said. “They do so much to promote local businesses, especially with this pandemic going on.”

As seniors age, Wellington Bay will be able to continue serving them.

“One of the true values of Wellington Bay will be access to on-campus multiple levels of care,” Paige said. “The Lisbet Health Center is a step-up program. As people continue aging, we will also have assisted living and memory support. One nice feature of our assisted living is we will offer two-bedroom units in addition to all the amenities, programs and services that make the lifestyle at Wellington Bay so great.”

She urged anyone interested in Wellington Bay to come aboard soon and help create this unique, new community.

“Those who move in early have the chance to help shape the community and enjoy the benefits of being a founding member,” Paige said. “We are excited to share with you our plans for Wellington Bay.”

Wellington Bay is located at 2590 Wellington Bay Drive. For more information, call (561) 335-5405 or visit www.wellingtonbayfl.com.

As the world began locking down, the Village of Wellington immediately started brainstorming on how to continue serving the community — virtually.  Among the questions was how to continue the village’s award-winning recreation programs, despite mandated closures.

Through the new “Virtual Recreation Department,” Wellington’s Parks & Recreation Department found new ways to bring fun and educational activities to residents.

“During this difficult time, where our popular parks and recreational facilities remained closed for weeks, and our residents must practice social distancing, we wanted to provide virtual recreation opportunities for residents of all ages to stay active and healthy,” Parks & Recreation Director Eric Juckett explained. “Through a series of staff discussions, we decided the best way to continue offering our programming was to offer virtual classes using our current instructors.”

With recommendations and policy changes happening almost daily, the team knew that creating a virtual program platform was no simple task. Instructors had to be trained on new tools and technology, while simultaneously rethinking their methods for providing services.

“The greatest challenge that we came across was ensuring security to account for setting up these classes,” said Juckett, who noted that only authenticated users are able to join the online sessions. “I am proud of our Parks & Recreation staff, including Kristine Jarriel, Chris O’Connor, Branden Miller, as well as Jenifer Brito of the Community Services Department, for their hard work and dedication in getting our virtual programming off the ground.”

Participants can gain access to classes ranging from yoga and meditation to crafts and competitive cheerleading. Does your little one miss that tumbling class? Wellington has you covered. Been too shy to try a group class in Expressive Dance or Jazz Funk? Here is the chance to try something new from the comfort of your home. Wellington even offers virtual Zumba classes, including modified and chair options for participants with limitations.

All you need is a device capable of connecting to the internet using the popular Zoom app, such as a smart phone, laptop, tablet or desktop computer. “All of our programs are interesting and engaging. We have programs for all ages from toddlers to seniors. Our virtual bingo is one of our most highly requested programs. Our team had to employ very creative thinking to continue providing this popular program,” Juckett said.

The classes are all offered for free on a first-come, first-served basis, so participants are encouraged to sign up early before a class fills and the registration closes. Classes are often locked once they begin.

“The virtual programs have been very successful. Not only have we consistently seen a large number of people partake in these classes, we have also had participants from other states join in, as well as many new participants who are trying new activities for the first time,” Juckett said. “They will absolutely continue for the time being while we figure out how to adapt to future challenges.”

Since its launch in April, the Virtual Recreation Center has been so effective that the team continues to expand the menu of class offerings. Currently, residents can find a live session to fit their schedule and interests Monday through Saturday. The village also expects to keep offering a variety of classes during the summer months.

Wellington updates the schedule for virtual programs regularly through the village’s social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

While the virtual programs continue to evolve, village officials continue to monitor the changes in recommendations regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Like much of the country, Wellington is slowly beginning to open some of its in-person offerings.

“Our Aquatics Complex and Tennis Center are now open. The pool is open for lap swimming and every lane is available. The Tennis Center is open for singles and doubles play. Our fields are available for open play for groups of 10 or less at this time,” Juckett said in late May. “We are proud to offer a modified summer camp this summer during these difficult times. We continue to look to add services and programs as we navigate the future.”

The best place to find updates and information about future recreational programming, events and facility openings is www.wellingtonfl.gov/parks.

Wellington’s vision of a Virtual Recreation Center was made possible through sponsorships from various community partners, including Baptist Health South Florida, Wellington Regional Medical Center, Priority Towing, Healthy Partners, Dedicated Senior Medical Center, Florida Blue, the Area Agency on Aging Palm Beach/Treasure Coast, Harbor Chase of Wellington Crossing and Humana.

“We are grateful to our generous community partners for their continued support through these difficult times,” Juckett said. “These programs provide a fantastic service for the residents of Wellington and anyone else who wishes to participate. Many of these excellent programs are an extension of what we normally offer in person, and they have been well-received by our participants accessing them virtually.”

To learn more about Wellington’s virtual programs, e-mail Chris O’Connor at coconnor@wellingtonfl.gov or call (561) 612-6697. To access the Virtual Recreation Center, visit www.wellingtonfl.gov/virtualrec.

Wellington’s Juliana Wandell Graduates From FAU With A Double Major At Age 17 College Grad

Wellington teenager Juliana Wandell graduated last month from Florida Atlantic University with dual bachelor’s degrees in computer engineering and computer science. At age 17, she became FAU’s youngest student ever to accomplish this feat.

Wandell, who goes by the nickname “Jewels,” has been on her accelerated educational trajectory for a long time — since she was 24 months old, in fact.

“She started pre-kindergarten at St. Joseph’s Episcopal School when she was 2, and they bumped her into kindergarten,” recalled Rosie Wandell, her mother. “Headmaster Kay Johnson saw something in her.”

From there, it was elementary school, several years of home schooling, and then college credits that began accruing in the ninth grade.

“At FAU High School, you take high school courses, as well as some electives that count as college classes, like my Spanish and engineering classes,” Jewels said. “You then apply to FAU and, from 10th grade onward, take a full course load on campus.”

She didn’t start out with the goal of graduating from college at age 17. In fact, she initially tried to function at her own grade level.

“I got bored,” Jewels recalled. “If a school put me back in the grade I was supposed to be in for my age, I’d hate that I was repeating things. I’d wait until the last minute to do my assignments.”

When she was 11, Jewels tagged along with a friend — also home-schooled — who signed up for FAU High School’s Summer Engineering Camp. District Science Coordinator Allan Phipps took notice, urging her mother to get Jewels into the program.

Unfortunately, the fall term was due to start within days. Yet no mere schedule was going to interfere with their determination. Phipps introduced the family to Dr. Joel Herbst, superintendent of FAU Lab Schools District and FAU High School Associate Director David Kelly. The end result was that Jewels was admitted to the program.

“I was a lot more adult than those in my age range, and they wanted me to go directly into 10th grade, but I wanted a ninth grade ‘boot camp’ on campus first,” Jewels explained. “I wanted to enjoy myself, be a kid. On campus, I tried not to tell people how old I was most of the time, but you can only say ‘my parents drove me’ so many times before they started to ask, ‘What’s up with that?’”

Jewels was 15 when she graduated from FAU High School in May 2018, and 17 when she graduated from the university itself in May 2020 with a grade point average of 3.797.

“The academics weren’t easy all the time, but I liked being in the classes I was in,” she said. “My senior design project took a year, but I created virtual reality gloves with haptic feedback. Typical sensors don’t go over your hand, nor do they engage all your fingers. They may be able to grab an object, but mine can be integrated with games and tools and bend 0 to 90 degrees.”

Still, it’s not like there weren’t challenges along the way. “A lot of 20-year-olds don’t want to hang out with a 12-year-old, which I understand, but it took me a while to figure out that some of the students who were saying they were going to be my friend, were only going to be my friend until we were through with the course,” Jewels said. “They only wanted me to tutor them!”

So, although Jewels had plenty of “acquaintances” who would smile and wave if they passed her on campus, she didn’t make any true friends until later on in her educational career.

“It wasn’t the worst thing in the world,” she said. “People were nice. I always had someone to sit with and talk to — and I had kept some of my high school friends — but it wasn’t until I joined a sorority and a bunch of honor societies that I was able to build real friendships.”

Her parents Rosie and Eric Wandell said they never treated Jewels like a child; they treated her like an equal.

“My husband and I supported Jewels together. If it wasn’t for that, we wouldn’t have been able to do everything we did. He was a fireman, and I had a physical therapy practice. Jewels did her robotics things all over the state, and on the weekend was Stetson Young Scholars for high-achieving students,” Rosie recalled. “One or the other of us would drive her to the middle of the state Friday after school and drive her back on Saturday or Sunday — for three years. She would learn about history or rocket science from Stetson professors, and it wasn’t arranged by age groups. She would be 6 or 7 years old in with 10- and 11-year-olds making bottle rockets.”

“It was very challenging,” Eric added. “But we’ve got a fighter. She stands up for herself, and we are very family-oriented.”

One of her favorite pastimes came from her father.

“When I was really young, instead of bedtime stories, my dad would tell me stories surrounded around this character and let me make decisions for the character,” Jewels said. “It was Dungeons & Dragons — a very nerdy game — and I was his only player, but I loved it.”

At Jewels’ graduation from FAU, it would have been easy to find her in the crowd. Where some kids paint “Hi, Mom” or flowers on their mortarboards, Jewels was sporting the one with a high resolution 64×64 LED matrix flashing 50-plus tiny videos. She had used a USB-based microcontroller development system called a Teensy, her soldering skills, her cable management skills and her ability to edit programming using computer code to entertain onlookers with her own mini version of a sports arena Jumbotron — on her head.

At 17, she’s already sizing up Pratt & Whitney, NASA, Northrop Grumman, Blue Origin and SpaceX of the aerospace industry in an effort to advance her interests in additive manufacturing (the reverse of using a lathe, which removes something to create an object) but is hoping to stay in South Florida, at least for now.

When not engaged in her studies, Jewels enjoys video games, Dungeons & Dragons and painting with watercolors, as well as hanging out with her teacup poodle Princess and her boyfriend, Ryan Scupt.

“She’s an only child,” Rosie said. “Otherwise, I don’t know what we would’ve done. I like to say, ‘God only gives you what you can handle.’”

Bright Students Lead The Way At Wellington-Area High Schools  Young Leaders

Showing endurance, flexibility, perseverance and a sense of decorum few others have been called upon to muster in their young academic careers, the Class of 2020 has made history. The two public high schools serving the Wellington community graduated a combined 1,334 students in this pandemic-altered year filled with unique challenges.

Principal Cara Hayden at Wellington High School said that the school is incredibly proud of its 635 members in the Class of 2020. While the traditional graduation ceremony at the South Florida Fairgrounds was canceled, a virtual ceremony was held online Monday, June 1, featuring speeches from valedictorian Max LeGates and salutatorian Hersh Prakash.

“Our seniors were instrumental in our transition to remote learning,” Hayden said. “Their focus and maturity helped our teachers maintain continuity in the classroom. They responded to the loss of several senior traditions with kindness and promoted the most innovating ideas. Max and Hersh are wonderful representatives of the grace and maturity demonstrated by our senior class.”

Principal Darren Edgecomb at Palm Beach Central High School said that his 699 graduates rose to the occasion. “Of course, it has been an unprecedented year, and our seniors have led the way,” he said. “It is due to their endurance, tenacity, intelligence and confidence that we were able to persevere.”

Palm Beach Central’s class was led by valedictorian Jacob Fingeret and salutatorian Ian Mutschler. “Jacob and Ian are extremely popular, and they helped to lead the way in the Class of 2020,” Edgecomb said. “The class as a whole rose to the occasion, and these two phenomenal young men were truly leaders.”

Wellington High School
Valedictorian Max LeGates

Max LeGates lives with his parents and has two older brothers. The oldest one graduated from Roanoke College two years ago, and the middle brother just graduated from Franklin & Marshall College. LeGates starts in the fall at the University of Florida, studying environmental science.

LeGates decided to strive for valedictorian when he discovered that he was ranked first after his freshman year.

“I wanted to keep up my hard work and keep my position,” he said. “There were no defining moments because I never knew if I would stay valedictorian, but I worked harder and harder every year to keep my position.”

LeGates graduated with a grade point average of 4.0 and an honors point average of 5.40. In the time before the virus hit, he ran varsity cross country since his sophomore year and participated in the Leadership Grow program. “I was also junior and senior class treasurer and involved heavily in student government,” LeGates added.

LeGates found virtual schooling to be challenging. “Transitioning to online learning was quite difficult for me. I’m not used to learning online. The hardest thing for me was trying to stay awake for first period while still lying in my bed! A typical day is very much like real school, except lonely and more boring, but I got used to it and still tried to succeed.”

LeGates is optimistic about the future. “I know the world is going through a tough time right now, but we are all working together, and we will come out stronger,” he said. “I’m excited to start my four years at UF.”

He urged his fellow graduates to never stop chasing their dreams. “If you work hard and keep your eye on the prize, you can accomplish anything,” LeGates said. “My advice for future seniors is to focus on school but also ensure that you have a good time as well. Don’t get caught up in being the best or else you’ll lose yourself in the process.”

 

Wellington High School
Salutatorian Hersh Prakash

Hersh Prakash completed his high school career with a 3.93 grade point average and an honors point average of 5.55. He lives with his parents and his sister, who is two years older.

It was while attending his sister’s graduation when he was a sophomore that he decided to try for valedictorian or salutatorian.

“I was sitting in the auditorium with maybe 4,000 people and 600 kids who had all worked extremely hard to get through school and graduate,” Prakash remembered. “I saw the salutatorian give a speech, and I got chills. I knew I would be salutatorian or valedictorian because I wanted to leave my mark at Wellington High School.”

Last year, Prakash played soccer. He is a member of the National Honor Society and a math tutor. He works part time as a loan processor and will soon get his real estate license.

During the virtual school era, a typical day began at 8 a.m. “I join the Google meets for my classes. In the afternoon, I go for a run and study for the real estate exam. I go to sleep around 11 p.m.,” he said.

Prakash will be attending the University of Florida where he will major in business and real estate.

“I am extremely optimistic about the future because the country is never going to stop,” Prakash said. “Kids, such as myself, want to see the world be a better place. I recommend trying to have a positive mindset as a whole. That way, current events won’t affect us so much.”

Prakash is also excited to be voting for the first time this year. “I am extremely excited to have a voice and experience being in a voting booth,” he said. “It is one vote, but one vote matters.”

Palm Beach Central High School
Valedictorian Jacob Fingeret

Jacob Fingeret has a 15-year-old brother and a sister who just turned 11. He graduates with a grade point average of 4.0 and an honors point average of 5.5. He has been rated at the top of his class since he was a freshman.

“When I learned that, I thought, ‘Maybe if I try, I can maintain this,’” remembered Fingeret, who will be attending the University of Florida as a pre-med major.

Before the virus hit, he played soccer and water polo, and he served as treasurer of the National Honor Society and a member of the history, environmental and social studies honor societies. Along the way, he also found time to work at Wawa.

The challenge Fingeret noticed most with the switch to online schooling was the workload.

“It was an interesting change,” he said. “I felt like we started doing more work. Maybe it was because the teachers gave assignments, and you didn’t have any time at school, but definitely adjusting to keep your schedule and to keep up with everything was challenging.”

To his fellow seniors, Fingeret suggested that they “expect the unexpected.”

“Not everything is going to go your way. Assess the situation and adapt to it. So long as you have air in your lungs, you are probably doing pretty good,” he said.

A typical home-schooling day for Fingeret included a lot of learning.

“I get up at 8:30 a.m. and do Google meets for my classes,” he said. “I learn calculus that I may or may not understand. The computer doesn’t bother me much. I take college classes that were online before corona. At 3 p.m. I exercise, then do homework until 9 p.m. From 9 p.m. to midnight it is free time for family time or Netflix, then bedtime.”

As for next year’s seniors, Fingeret’s advice is: “Always work as hard on schoolwork as you can but remember that friends are most important. It all ends pretty fast.”

Palm Beach Central High School
Salutatorian Ian Mutschler

Ian Mutschler lives with his parents and has two sisters — an older sister attending college in Jacksonville and a 15-year-old younger sister at home. He will be attending Florida State University, where he plans to major in meteorology.

Mutschler graduated with a 3.9474 grade point average and a 5.3662 honors point average.

“After my sophomore year, I saw I had a shot and thought it would be pretty cool. I wanted to go for it,” explained Mutschler about being named salutatorian.

Of course, he also got some parental encouragement during his academic journey. “My mom pushed me along the way,” he said.

Mutschler was a member of the National Honor Society, active in the Student Government Association and works as a lifeguard at the Wellington Aquatics Complex.

One of the challenges of switching to online schooling was the “bizarre transition of trying to learn calculus over a computer screen. It is not easy. I’m more of a face-to-face person,” Mutschler said.

Mutschler remains optimistic about the future. “I’m confident that there will be a vaccine or some kind of herd immunity,” he said. “I am already seeing signs of re-opening, and that gives me hope. I think that maybe in a few months or a year, things will be back to normal.”

Mutschler offered some advice to his fellow graduates. “Having a high number is great, but don’t forget your friends and the people you meet,” he said. “They are much more important than a number. It is cool to be able to speak at graduation or to have a bunch of cords, but don’t forget your friends. They are more important than your GPA — and enjoy things while they last because, as we have seen, it can all be pulled away at any time.”

To those who will be seniors next year, Mutschler suggested that they may not want to follow his exact example. “Don’t kill yourself like I did,” he said. “I’m not saying it wasn’t worth it; but focus on relationships. That is going to be what builds your character more than anything.”