The second quarter of the 2023-2024 school year at Cypress Creek High School is among us. We have two quarters left before we have to say goodbye to our beloved Class of ‘24 seniors. The first class to go from sixth grade to now 12th grade all at Cypress Creek High School. Going from such a large school, where middle and high school students were together, to now only having high school students, there has been tremendous progress and development.

“My favorite memory of high school would have to be Homecoming my junior year,” senior David Caine said.

He added, “Coming from a small Jewish school in Tampa in elementary and middle school with a small graduating class of 19 kids, I never got to experience huge events or formal events of that size. With my junior and senior year Homecoming, I got to have so much fun with my friends and finally experience what it is like to have a big school community.”

Senior Ava Ward also commented, “The people I’ve met and the friends I made would definitely have to be my favorite part of high school so far.”

With the experiences and knowledge our senior students have gained throughout their time at Cypress Creek, there is so much to teach the upcoming seniors and all undergraduates on how to succeed in their high school years.

A piece of advice Ward would give to her ninth-grade self would be to, “Take Dual Enrollment classes! It will make your life so much easier, and I regret not taking them in High School.”

Dual enrollment is a program offered to high school students that allows them to take college courses at local colleges. Our dual enrollment program is offered by Pasco Hernando State College (PHSC) and allows students to take a variety of courses offered at their school for college credit after meeting certain requirements. These classes are offered online or on PHSC campuses depending on the course or what students choose in their course selection.

Dual enrollment courses are a great way to get more college credit and taking a more challenging work course that will help you succeed when you get to college. If you are interested in what Dual Enrollment has to offer, be sure to talk to your class counselor for more information regarding the classes.

Caine also expressed, “Do more extracurriculars that will help you succeed later on. Write down your goals and what you want to do after high school and make them happen. High school is only what you make of it.”

With the endless programs and extracurriculars Cypress Creek has to offer, it is easy to become more involved in our school. There are many afterschool clubs and honor societies created by students and teacher sponsors involving a variety of topics such as foreign languages, sports, community service, and so much more to get involved in. CCHS also have incredible sports programs such as football, soccer, basketball, and dance. Not to mention, collaborative programs such as engineering, criminal justice, and journalism involve problem solving skills

and create projects with other students at Cypress Creek. If you are interested in any of these programs, be sure to check out our CCHS website for more information.

Seniors have been diligently working on their applications for their college of choice and after high school plans while also anxiously awaiting their final decisions. College and Career Specialist Cassie Adley has been such an amazing help throughout the whole college and career process and continuously helps students achieve and follow their dreams after high school.

She started out working with her senior students on their college applications while teaching Advanced Placement Literature for the past couple of years and when the College and Career Specialist job opened at Cypress Creek, she went for it and now loves working each year with our senior classes helping them prepare for the next career and education stages of their life.

“My favorite part about working as a College and Career Specialist for Cypress Creek is helping kids to find what they want to do next in their life,” Adley stated.

She continued, “Whether it’s enlisting in the military, enrolling in college, or other plans, it’s nice to see people finding their purpose and paths in what they are going to do next.”

Applying and deciding on what college or career path can be extremely difficult for so many. The application process is long and extensive, and there are so many elements to include in your application to sum up all four years of high school into one paper. With the help of Adley, students get essential feedback on their applications to prevent them from leaving out critical parts and crafting them to that will then be submitted to the colleges and careers of their choice.

Making the final choice after getting all decisions for college applications and certain careers can be increasingly difficult for students as well. To help with this process of deciding on

colleges to attend after high school, Cypress Creek is now giving students the opportunity to further explore eight college campuses in Florida on an incredible three-day trip from February 21st-23rd this school year.

The tour includes meals, hotel stays, the tours, transportation, and many other things all for the cost of $619 for quad accommodations and $679 for double accommodations. The campuses students will be visiting are Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), Florida International University (FIU), Florida Atlantic University (FAU), University of Central Florida (UCF), Flagler College, University of North Florida (UNF), Florida State University (FSU), and University of Florida (UF).

If you are interested in attending, please ask Ms. Adley if there are any spots left. They are running out fast! This tour will be amazing in giving seniors different perspectives on the colleges offered in Florida to help them finalize their college decisions. It will also further help juniors in determining where they will be applying to next school year.

The journey to the end of your high school years is a long one. Remember to appreciate how far you have come and make the most out of these years at Cypress Creek.