Savanna Byles

By definition, a best friend is a person’s closest and most cherished friend. When it comes to love on Valentine’s Day, the holiday’s purpose is not only to be with a loved one in a relationship but to also be with and appreciate that best friend who has been there with you through everything. Taking a look into why Miami Palmetto Senior High students love their best friends, The Panther had a chance to speak with some close friends as to what they love about their besties.

Freshmen – Gabriela Laventman and Lucille Hargrove

Sophomores – Yaar Dotan Fuchs, Nicole Navarro and Madison Berlowe

Juniors – Zoe Tamayo and Amanda Morgan

Seniors – Joseph Inzinna and Jiles Gerrish

The Panther: Given the amount of time you spend with the person you chose to be your best friend, what do you love most about your best friend?

Freshman BFFs:

Laventman: “[Hargrove is] the sweetest person I know and she always has nice things to say about everyone. I love that she never talks poorly about anyone. She is always there for me and she has a great heart and is always willing to help people who need it. She never backs down from a challenge and I love her confidence. She feeds into my delusions and gives me the best advice I could ask for. She is literally the sister I never had.”

Hargrove: “[Laventman] is always there for me when I am at my worst and she loves me when I am at my best. There is no TMI in our friendship and I can say whatever I want without worrying about feeling judged and I love that they can feel that way about me as well, it’s a mutual level of trust. She’s like a second sister to me and I feel like she is family.”

Sophomore BFFs:

Dotan Fuchs: “[Nicole and Madison] are very funny. And, I think humor is something that really helps tie relationships together — when you can joke around with someone and understand each other in that way.”

Berlowe: “I love how kind and sweet they are; they’re really fun to hang out with, and even with our schedules, we still find time to be together even at school.”

Navarro: “They are super fun to hang out with, and they understand me. They understand my circumstances … We hang out a lot more inside of school because we have like chem together, but they make class a lot better.”

Junior BFFs:

Tamayo: “I love that [Amanda] is so thoughtful and caring and always there for me whenever I need her. I love that we’re in yearbook together and we can go take photos for every event together. And, I love her honesty, her kindness and awesomeness. I love hanging out with her every day, and I am super excited to drive her around soon.”

Morgan: “I love how I know I can always go to her about anything and it will be free of judgment. I know that she’ll give me the bare truth, even if it’s not exactly what I want to hear. I know that she will not feed my delusions and she always knows how to put a smile on my face … She is really funny, and she knows how to make everything more light-hearted and find the fun in situations; and, she just knows how to brighten someone’s day. She’s just genuinely a fun person to be around. She’s enthusiastic and energetic, she’s always really full of energy. And, I love hanging out with her all the time. I could never get sick of her.”

Senior BFFs:

Inzinna: “We officially became friends in sixth grade, but we met in third. I think us being friends for so long has built our friendship. He is always there for me and even when I am not wanting to talk to someone he doesn’t leave which I like.”

Gerrish: “He is always here for me even when I don’t want him to be there sometimes. I’ll just tell him like, ‘dude back off.’ He’s always just right there, but I appreciate it. I definitely think you don’t have to say everything to be honest, but not saying something is not dishonest, so I think that rules in honesty have built our friendship.”