Most people use a ball of yarn and a crochet tool for simple crafts and stuffed animals. However, for senior Annabelle Acevedo, these materials became the foundation of a larger project. Acevedo was nominated for the Silver Knight Award in the science category for her efforts in numerous areas.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Acevedo had hours upon hours of free time. Instead of wasting her time on mindless activities, she took it upon herself to become productive.
“My Spanish teacher taught me how to crochet and I used her lessons to teach some of my friends how to crochet,” Acevedo shares. To many, this is just another activity to distract themselves from the problems around them, however, Acevedo and her friends turned it into something greater.
With their newfound passion and expertise, they created Crochet for a Cause. Alongside her friends, Acevedo would “crochet beanies, blankets, granny squares, and premature baby beanie hats to be donated to local hospitals, animal shelters, and homeless shelters.” Additionally, their sponsor would take the items that the girls made and send them overseas to the Caribbean.
Their goal for the club was to spread their influence worldwide to those who really need it. They created crochet kits “with the hopes that other women will use these crochet kits to start their own businesses,” Acevedo explains.
With a fiery passion for crochet, Acevedo was producing multiple items every day. With so much supply, she decided to focus on additional areas more local. With many extras, Annabelle explains “The beanies that we created were donated to NICU centers and chemotherapy centers.”
Acevedo’s work with Crochet for a Cause and her creations were only the foundation of her Silver Knight project. Her efforts also lay in other areas.
Acevedo is not only president of one club, but three. Part of her Silver Knight application was her work for these clubs, but mainly two: Science Olympiad and HOSA.
HOSA is one of the most popular clubs at PPCHS for students who aspire to enter the medical field. This year, Acevedo alongside the help from her sponsor and board, led 31 members of the club to states, a new school record.
Additionally, Acevedo has made many contributions to the Science Olympiad club as President. The previous year she helped the Academic Village Middle School (AVM) team advance to the state level competition.
Her commitment to the science field doesn’t stop there. Over the summer, she spent 6-weeks at Florida State University (FSU) participating in a research program. “Over the summer I went to FSU to do an HIV-1 research project” Acevedo describes.
As she prepares to make her final goodbye to Pines Charter, Acevedo leaves behind a legacy of leadership, and service, and she is ready to take her impact to greater heights.
