MUSIC AND DANCE: Caitlin Solomon
For Miami Palmetto Senior High senior Caitlin Solomon, roller skating is more than just an activity, it has become one of her life accomplishments. Without the intent of creating her passion into a project and applying for Silver Knight, Solomon created a world that is truly spectacular to young skaters. Youth Skaters of Miami teaches young rollerskaters how to skate and perform tricks.
“So, it didn’t start as a service project. It started more as something I did personally being taught. I started [roller] skating when I was eight years old and I was just doing it for fun. I slowly started taking private lessons with the coaches, but as I got older, more people started graduating from those classes and others started joining,” Solomon said. “I realized that when I was younger, I had older students in the class to help me, but now that I was older, I was the one to help others, so I slowly started helping the little kids learn how to skate.”
Solomon found her love for skating at a young age and was mentored by older skaters, too. It became something she thought she should do as well because helping the kids would be passing on her knowledge.
“I started staying later for my skating lessons, to stay for open sessions where we taught little kids, and it slowly just grew into something where I started teaching and I started coaching,” Solomon said.
The music and dance category includes how art specifically affects the community. Working to express oneself and help other people do the same is what her project is all about.
“I think the best part about roller skating is the music. It’s all about rhythm and knowing how to feel. It is something that we work on all day, every day. It’s less about the volunteering and doing a project but more just experiencing it with the people,” Solomon said.
The journey to get to this point has not been a smooth ride. With COVID-19 and an ankle injury getting in the way of her accomplishments, Solomon pushed through.
“My main issue was that a little bit after COVID started, of course, you can’t skate without a rink, and the rinks were closed down. But I also suffered from an ankle injury from skating and it put me out of skating for a solid year. I wasn’t on my foot at all and I still suffer from that so I am really limited. I had to teach off skates,” Solomon said
This project allowed Solomon to make memories with the kids she taught. Her favorite is simply her students being excited to see her.
“I just love it when I come around after being gone for a little while and all the kids come and say hi and they’re like ‘Hi Coach Cameron’,” Solomon said.
SCIENCE: Jaya Castro
All throughout grade school, students have learned to make a difference for the ecosystem, with Earth Day being the only day emphasized in schools. Miami Palmetto Senior High senior Jaya Castro decided one day is not enough, and now celebrates Earth Day every day.
Castro began to make her mark with her project Sustainable Human Kind where she released her idea to combine the arts and environmental science.
The past few years, Castro has worked to the best of her ability combining her work with what she loves. As a Thespian, it only made sense that she used her amazing singing voice to write a children’s song about conserving the earth which she was able to teach to the students of Pinecrest Elementary. Since she enjoyed her time so much at Pinecrest Elementary, she decided to go back, but this time, to start a club. She called it The Eco Skits Club.
“I taught the kids about environmental issues through theater skits and had them come up with their own skits,” Castro said.
She enjoyed spending her free time with the children of Pinecrest and sees herself back there in the near future.
This year, Castro decided she wanted to meet with her dance studio to work with their outreach program and has done different presentations about water conservation and plastic waste which led to greater things for her cause, even getting attention from a big company.
“I was lucky enough to reach out to Elkay and they were able to donate over 300 reusable water bottles, so I have been able to give them to kids,” Castro said.
Castro has brought it upon herself to do what she can for her community and chose to work with young minds to teach the next generation how important caring for their ecosystem is.
Her next initiative is to go back to Pinecrest Elementary and start up a composting program.
Castro, being only a teen, chose who she wanted to be and gave up her time to benefit the earth. Being so busy with dance and theater, she takes time to make an impact
