Extracurricular

1) Alyssa has been dancing for the past 15 years! She has attended 2 different dance studios (StarStruck Dance Studio and DanceStarz Performance Company) over the course of her dancing career. She has had instructional classes in Classical ballet, modern ballet, flexibility/technical conditioning training, tap, hip hop, jazz, pointe, modern, and lyrical. While her personal favorite is lyrical, she truly enjoys each and every subject. Each year she participates in up to 10 different dances which include each dance subject as well as her self-choreographed solos and duets. These dances are taken to various competitions throughout each year to destinations like Orlando, Lakeland, and Daytona Beach. She still maintains her dancing career while attending the University of South Florida by dancing at least 10 hours a week at her studio in Pinellas Park. Alyssa was presented with both a 5-year and a 10-year trophy at StarStruck Dance Studio before transferring to DanceStarz Performance Company. Alyssa believes herself to be a leader among her dance friends but very much a part of two strong dancing families. As with any team sport, Alyssa has built the strongest of relationships with all of her teachers, coaches, and fellow dance students. (See pictures on Multimedia page!)

2) Alyssa danced with the Seminole High School Hawkette Dance Team for three years at her high school. Her sophomore year was the first year that the dance team was created. Alyssa participated in multiple fund-raising activities, school functions, and volunteer experiences with her teammates. She performed at every Varsity football game, the occasional Junior Varsity football games, the men's basketball games, the women's basketball games, the Homecoming/Homegoing celebrations, and a year competition at the Florida State Fair. She also performed numerous dances for her student body at the Annual Talent Show established by the Seminole High School Hawkettes the year it was created. Her senior year, Alyssa was nominated and voted in as the Hawkette Captain. This job required her to lead stetches, contact girls with important information, prepare the team before games/competition, assist the coach with book-keeping responsibilities, and keep the team together by way of support to foster unity and sportsmanship. (See pictures on Multimedia page!)

3) Alyssa loves children! Any opportunity she can get to volunteer at various church Vacation Bible School summer camps, tutor/mentor, or babysit she takes it! Last year she worked for StarStruck Dance Studio as a dance instructor for twelve 3-5 year olds. She choreographed a ballet dance that was performed at their spring recital, gave instruction in ballet as well as tap, and assisted children in communication with herself and the other students. Alyssa has also babysat for the past ten years. Alyssa has the patience and kindness that attracts all young children and make them Alyssa's "new best friends". During the summers, Alyssa volunteers as a camp counselor for the preschool age children. Alyssa is assigned to at least 15-20 young children in which she must facilitate an understanding of religion, communication with other children, as well as nurturing to allow parents to be separated from their toddlers/preschoolers for the first time. Alyssa believes herself to be truly experienced because she has been a volunteer for the Faith Presbyterian Church VBS for the past eight years. She knows in her heart that she wants to work with children in her line of work. She hopes to get a job in the Labor and Delivery unit of the hospital after graduating undergraduate nursing school and become a Pediatric ARNP after graduate school. (See pictures on Multimedia page!)

4) Alyssa truly enjoys tutoring students. For the past six years, Alyssa has offered her educational expertise to students in need. She spent her freshman year in high school tutoring 4 special needs students, her junior and senior years in high school in the back of the guidance office for any student that ever needing tutoring in math/science/chemistry/english, and the past five years as a private tutor for family friends and references of friends. She has tutored in all subjects as well as SAT and ACT, FCAT, and test-taking skills. Each and every one of Alyssa's students show significant improvement after just the matter of a week or two. She tutored a Junior in high school last year that was receiving an F in his Analysis of Functions math class and helped him finish the year off with a solid B, for one example. An even more recent example is the student Alyssa is tutoring this year. He is a senior in the same Analysis of Functions math class. He also was receiving a failing grade but is now holding a solid A. Alyssa LOVES the feeling she gets when she helps other students understand something they have been struggling with and helps them achieve their goals. She plans on attending both of these young men's graduations this Spring knowing that she had a major part in their success.

5) Alyssa also enjoys photography in her spare time. After taking an intensive Creative Photography class her Junior year of high school, Alyssa has found a new love in taking pictures. One piece of her work was chosen and submitted for a Seminole High School photography contest by her creative photography teacher.

6) Alyssa also thoroughly enjoys going to the beach, shopping, cleaning (yes, cleaning!), working on her hot sauce collection, and writing poetry. Alyssa finds strength within her relationships with her friends and family and thrives on the connections she's made throughout the years.