Discus Award Winner
Winners Gallery
PHOTOS
Ciara Nadelkov
12th Grade, FL
ATTRIBUTES
Academics
At the age of sixteen, I am currently enrolled in high school, and Daytona State College. In June of 2013, I will graduate high school, and I will receive my AA degree. I started high school courses in eighth grade, and by the time I started high school I had enough credits to be a sophomore in high school. I spent one year at the high school with a full schedule- seven classes. My second year at high school, I began dual enrollment at the local college (Daytona State College). I was fourteen at the time; no one at the college believed I was that young. My third year of high school, this year, I am going to graduate early, and with my AA degree. Not many can say they have a college degree by the age of sixteen. I can.
Community Service
My freshman year of high school, I was told that I had to have a certain number of community service hours to apply for the Bright Future's scholarship. So I started to volunteer at the Adult Day Care Center by my house. I chose the center because I eventually want to study the human brain, and hopefully find a cure for Alzheimer's disease. Working with patients with the illness was appealing to me. I spent my entire summer volunteering there and I really enjoyed it. I developed a great relationship with the owner, and became great friends with one of the clients, Mary. Her and I play scrabble every week. I even visit her at her retirement home on the other side of town every so often. I hope to continue my community service as I have given over 250 hours of my time and it's worth it.
Work
Over the past summer, I worked full time at the family business. My dad own's an H VAC Contracting (Air Conditioning) company. I managed all of the paperwork and answered customers' questions. The work was great; many customers were very thankful for fixed air conditioners. The summer flew by, and I learned many new skills that I'll continue to use in other parts of my life. I also babysit my brother and sister every day after school. I pick them up from school, and get their homework done before our parents get home from work. Thanks to this line of work, I have been recommended to many other parents and their friends as a babysitter and I plan to become CPR certified very soon. Both types of work are enjoyable for me, and I hope to have more work opportunities in the future.
