Today, May 10, 2017, seven seniors were recognized for their constant positivity, school spirit, and friendly attitudes with the Passion For Life award.
The Passion for Life award all started with the tragic death of Angel Diaz in 2007. Angel was a positive and spirited Palmetto panther who constantly had a “passion for life.” When Angel passed away, his parents made the best out of an unfortunate situation and started up the incredibly meaningful scholarship award.
“It really shows that the effort’s I’ve made to be enthusiastic have really been recognized, at least by teachers. Because this is a nominated position, it shows that teachers notice and pay attention to the enthusiasm I try to bring into the classroom. Every day my goal is to bring smiles to people’s faces, whether they were laughing at me or with me,” senior Michael Trainor said.
At 9 a.m., the seven seniors received their awards from Angel’s parents under the tree that was planted in his honor, in front of the school. All of the finalists were surprised and honored to be considered for such a meaningful award.
“To be honest it meant a lot when I found out that I was a finalist. It made me smile because you know it’s not something that happens every day, being recognized for good things,” senior Dylan Barallobre said.
Due to how outstanding this group of students is, this year there was two winners who received a scholarship. Congratulations to the 2017 Passion for Life award winners: Michael Trainor and Tiffany Watson.