JOURNALISM: Gabriella Alvarez
Growing up with a passion for creativity and writing, Miami Palmetto Senior High senior and Journalism Silver Knight nominee Gabriella Alvarez created her service project, The Scribble Society, and has established her page in the world of writing.
Alvarez’s middle school, Herbert A. Ammons Middle School, lacked a space for creative writing, which she deemed her “escape” from the real world. In sixth grade, Alvarez took it into her own hands to address this gap and create a support system for others who shared this sentiment. However, once she went to high school, Alvarez encountered challenges maintaining involvement with her project.
“The biggest challenge initially was communication, because once I came to high school … I was really determined to go back and keep helping out. But since the school got displaced because they remodeled it, it was definitely a challenge to keep an effective amount of communication,” Alvarez said.
Nonetheless, Alvarez pushed through the conflict and in her junior year returned to The Scribble Society as a mentor.
“…I essentially run the meetings. I create projects and PowerPoint lessons for them, and I help create [activities that improve their writing],” Alvarez said.
Her pride and joy of the project is The Scribble Society Literary Magazine. This magazine, which is released at the end of each school year, features the work that the club’s members have been working on throughout the year. This allows students to showcase their talent and build confidence in sharing their work, while also serving as a source of pride for Alvarez.
“Seeing the kids’ true effort and dedicating themselves to submitting pieces … helps them leave their legacy at the school, just as I am. It is giving me the opportunity to share this story with everyone,” Alvarez said.
Upon finding out about her nomination, Alvarez felt emotional for her sixth-grade self. To have her passion be reflected in these students, see her dedication succeed in her project and have her commitment be recognized held significant weight for her.
“I feel like middle school is a very formative time for students, and sometimes the only way to express yourself is through writing,” Alvarez said. “Seeing that the kids really find solace in that and care enough to improve their writing so that it can be something they can share with other people is so important to me and impactful.”
Alvarez plans on continuing her involvement in running The Scribble Society even after she graduates, hoping to pass the project down to an incoming freshman.
“I never thought that I would have become Editor-in-Chief [in high school], or that I would still love writing, [because] for me, it used to only be something I would turn to as an escape,” Alvarez said. “So being able to help these kids get out of their shells and realize that their writing has an impact and that their voice means something has made it all the more meaningful.”
MATHEMATICS: Corey Eisenson
Miami Palmetto Senior High senior and Silver Knight nominee Corey Eisenson’s project focuses on educating students and teachers about the Holocaust. Beginning with presentations in ninth-grade classes, it led to advocating for a Holocaust Remembrance Day in Florida, which has since been successfully passed.
As Eisenson deepened his understanding of Jewish culture and the Holocaust, he realized the lack of exposure many students and teachers had and the urgent need to raise people’s awareness. These early presentations formed the foundation of his project and showed him the impact of firsthand education.
“I was the Holocaust ambassador, so I learned about the Holocaust, and then went around to ninth-grade classes and would present, teaching them about Jewish culture and the Holocaust as a whole,” Eisenson said.
As the project expanded, Eisenson realized awareness about Jewish culture needed to expand statewide. He decided to travel to the Florida Capital and speak to legislators about the importance of Jewish recognition.
“I went to the capital and spoke about a bill in Congress, the Florida Congress, about making a remembrance day, which passed,” Eisenson said. “Holocaust Remembrance Day would basically be a day where teachers can teach about it, and for it to just be recognized in Florida.”
His advocacy played a role in the creation of a Holocaust Remembrance Day in Florida, which officially passed in March of this year. Beyond legislation, the main initiative of Eisenson’s project involved sending teachers to Poland to learn about the Holocaust and reiterate the knowledge back to their students.
“I went on a Poland trip last year and decided that I want to send teachers to Poland, and then they’d learn, have the same curriculum I went through and then come back and teach their students about the Holocaust,” Eisenson said.
Behind the scenes, Eisenson’s project required months of planning and cooperation. Eisenson worked alongside his sponsor, Tamara Donnenfeld, the director of Temple Beth Am, to build a curriculum, map out the trip and determine how teachers could bring their experiences in Poland back to their classrooms.
“The main challenge, which is still kind of a challenge, is getting money and donations for the project. We didn’t have a 501(c)(3), and it’s basically where people who donate can write it off as tax refunds,” Eisenson said. “The only issue with that is since [my sponsor] is always busy, we try to plan out separate times to work on it.”
Despite these hurdles, Eisenson aims to continue his work post-graduation.
“I really want to stay in touch with either the temple or whatever college’s temple I go to and try to continue it there,” Eisenson said.
Beyond the logistics and work, Eisenson’s project is rooted in his own personal beliefs: the power of education. Writing about the project helped him see the real purpose and helped clarify his long-term interest in the topic.
“Social justice is something that I’ve always been passionate about, so after a ton of research, I decided to make this a real thing,” Eisenson said. “Plus, I have also always volunteered and helped educate kids and knew that this fell along the lines of education, so I chose to apply for Silver Knight.”
What started as a class project turned into an impactful mission to raise awareness throughout the state. It allowed him to reflect on how far the project had come and why he decided to pursue it in the first place.
