Miami High has a dedicated student body, but no one is more dedicated than SGA President Danelia Nunez. Due to the pandemic, senior Danelia campaigned for her position during the beginning of this school year virtually which is very different compared to previous years. What prompted her to run for Student Body President was her love of Miami High.

Extracurricular Activities

Before becoming SGA president, Danelia gained leadership experiences by an becoming an officer in other clubs. “I worked my way up each year of high school by gaining officer positions in clubs like Future Educators of America (FEA) and BETA,” she said. “I loved participating in school events like Homecoming through the perspective of an officer rather than a member. It challenged me to balance my academics with the responsibility of assisting my clubs.”

Despite a lot of students having to attend school virtually, Danelia wants to bring the whole school together during these difficult times. “Whether you’re in different clubs, an ESOL student, or a freshman, I want to be able to give all these different types of students a place in SGA,” she said.

Danelia strongly believes that “things are what you make of them,” so she would like for everyone here at Miami High to become involved during this school year. Miami High is known for its school spirit; however, the real source of all that spirit comes from our student body. In spite of Covid-19, Danelia encourages students from all grade levels to take part in the many diverse honor societies, service clubs, interest clubs, and sports that Miami High offers.

Cherishing Life

Danelia Nunez cherishes many people in her life, especially those who push her to be the best person she can be. “My mom inspires me a lot because she was independent from a very young age. She came to this country at 18 years old, and pushed through it by herself, as she had little to no help. She inspires me to never give up and work hard because she did the same thing and she was younger than me,” she said.

There are certain memories and experiences that have shaped people’s lives so much that without them, they’d be completely different individuals. Danelia describes how her memories with her family and friends are the most important to her. “ One of my favorite memories that has shaped me to be the person I am today, was the time when I had to spend a holiday season in the hospital due to health complications, my entire family gave up previous plans to spend Christmas and New Years to be by my side. This experience helped me realize that my family will always be there for me when surpassing difficult valleys in life. It shaped me to make positive outcomes out of any situation,” she said.

Academic Life

Just like any other student in high school, many of us have those difficult years where we’re swamped with assignments. Danelia explains how Junior year was that period of time where it seemed like she’d never get a break from her studies. “I put a lot on my plate and I thought that I could handle it. I was taking rigorous AP courses while being involved in multiple clubs,” she said. This caused Danelia to quickly find out that being able to balance academics and extracurriculars is very challenging. “I realized it really fast and it taught me how to manage my time,” she said.

Students grow to appreciate how much their teachers do for them when they show genuine interest in their students’ lives. Danelia has had many teachers that have a place in her heart and she’ll cherish for many years to come.   Dr. Yoham is one of those teachers. “He pushed me to be my best self and encouraged me to never give up. I remember my junior year I was planning to drop his AP Biology class because I was so stressed out, but he would always encourage me to push forward,” she said.

Future Plans

The prospect of growing up and becoming adults scares a lot of teenagers. Whether it’s staying up late to complete college applications or finishing up an essay due for your English class, people can grow anxious when dwelling on their future. Danelia spends a significant amount of time pondering what life could be like after high school. “In a couple years I still see myself in school, studying for finals and working towards everything that I’ve wanted in life,” she said. “I definitely want to pursue a career in the medical field. Since I was little, I’ve always admired what doctors and surgeons contribute to society and I want to be able to make that type of impact myself.”

All of us have certain goals that we want to be able to achieve in the future. It could be as simple as going on a road trip with your friends, or it could be as big as becoming President of the United States. No matter how big or how small your goals seem, Danelia believes everyone can achieve what they want in their lifetime.

“I’ve always been set on becoming successful and being able to make my mom proud. I want to be able to provide for her and allow her to live comfortably because of how much she’s sacrificed for me to be able to have all the opportunities I’ve been given,” she said.

Most people fantasize about getting accepted to their dream university. The blood, sweat, and tears that go into college applications can drive anyone to easily give up applying to their dream school, but not Danelia.

Danelia explains how she keeps herself motivated to focus on her future education. “Ever since I was little I was told to never settle for less, so I try and apply that to almost every aspect of my life, especially college applications. I know that I’ll be able to thrive at whichever school I eventually choose to attend.

University of Miami has always been on my mind when thinking about where I want to continue my education,” she said.

“I know for a fact that I will be applying to most of Florida’s state schools like the University of Florida, University of Central Florida, Florida State University, and also Syracuse University in New York.”

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Six Facts about Danelia

Favorite Flower: Sunflower

Zodiac Sign: Libra

Nickname: Dani

Favorite Colors: Olive Green and Burgundy

Favorite Musical Artist: Daniel Caesar

Favorite Book: “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho