Acknowledging the hard work of the top students at the school, Pembroke Pines Charter High School has recognized the top 5% of seniors for the Class of 2025. Recipients of the Summa Cum Laude have received both academic achievements and maintained at least a 3.9-4.0 grade point average (GPA) throughout their four years. With that, this honor reflects qualities within each of these Jaguars that will be carried on beyond high school.
Knowing the significance of this accomplishment, Karina Garcia says, “When I found out I made the top 5%, I was incredibly ecstatic.” The years’ worth of studying had finally paid off and left many of these seniors feeling satisfied with their hard work. Emotionally, Garcia further adds, “My parents and best friend were the first ones I ran to—as they were my biggest supporters.”
Seeing the Summa Cum Laude poster added to the office made this award feel surreal for the recipients, even for those upperclassmen who had learned they were in the top 5% earlier in the year.
Hannah Flores is appreciative of the award, as well as her fellow Summa Cum Laude students. “I’m honored to be alongside some of the people who have really motivated and inspired me over the past four years,” she writes. Flores is not only proud of herself but also her peers, who all have great things ahead of them.
Along with senior year festivities, this group of students had to maintain their classes to remain at the top of their class. For Flores and the other seniors, that meant they had to develop a practical study schedule and avoid procrastination. Likewise, Garcia is in various extracurriculars such as debate, so she had to prioritize her homework on the weekdays so she would be able to compete on weekends.
Some students, like Fabrizio Cioffi, have found ways to successfully manage stress. In his case, Cioffi feels at his best after going on a run. Every time he does this, he “come[s] back motivated and energized to continue [doing his] work,” he explains.
Both Cioffi and Garcia emphasize the importance of making to-do lists and staying connected with your teachers. When these become a habit, not only will this make a student more productive, but also discipline as well.
As their time at Charter comes to a close, these seniors will be remembered for their legacies, and they all hope that their passion will inspire the underclassmen. Flores advises “for students not to be afraid of challenging themselves with harder classes or more intimidating subjects.”
Cioffi expands this idea by stating the importance of “find[ing] other things to do when you’re bored that don’t consist of just being on social media or playing games. [Another good thing to do is] take dual enrollment classes.”
With that, congratulations to the following Summa Cum Laude for the Class of 2025: Annabelle Acevedo, Gendry Ariascruz, Sophia Assis, Aarohi Bali, Aaron Basynet, Carter Chen, Fabrizio Cioffi, Isabella Cioffi, Mandisha De, Santiago Delgado, Rithvik Dhara, Maria Estrada, Hannah Flores, Mia Fu, Karina Garcia, Aiden Johnson, Benjamin Kim, Isabella Laverde, Chinedu Okpala, and Dante Perez.
