Ranch Reflections are articles written by LRHS students and staff who want to share their experiences, thoughts, and concerns. This is a great opportunity for Mustangs to branch out beyond traditional news stories.  This edition features the thoughts of senior Charlize Ucciferri as she prepares for graduation.

Charlize Ucciferri – Mustangs Ahead

LRHS senior Charlize Ucciferri advises Mustangs to enjoy their time at LRHS

(LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL) – As my experience here at LRHS comes to an end, I find myself reflecting on the decisions I have made throughout these past four years.

My freshman year was a year of learning how high school worked. Academic courses became more rigorous compared to the classes I took in middle school and there were a lot more people in the hallways compared to what I was used to. To make new friends, I joined the LRHS cheerleading team and several other clubs which allowed me to be more involved.

After my first year, my sophomore year became more relaxed. I no longer had to get help to know where I was going. I felt comfortable walking into school knowing that I had people to talk to. I also took harder classes to raise my Grade Point Average (GPA) and challenge myself. I joined even more clubs and stayed on the cheerleading team. However, my sophomore year quickly came to a halt due to COVID-19.

What started with a three-week spring break evolved into finishing the school year online with the rest of my peers.

Stay updated on important LRHS news and share what you like by following our Twitter @LRHSNews1, Instagram @mustangs_ahead, TikTok @mustangsahead and follow the Mustangs Ahead Podcast

This continued to my junior year. At first, it seemed like doing online would be easy. However, this was not the case. I had to take three Advanced Placement (AP) level classes online and was expected to pass each national AP exam. In addition, online school caused me to miss out on being a normal teenager. I was still on the cheerleading team, but practices and football games were not the same.

The start of my senior year was nerve wracking. I had to start thinking about what colleges I was going to apply to and what I needed to do to make the most out of my last year of high school. This year my cheerleading career came to a close after eight years. Senior year presented many challenges that I had to work though, such as applying to colleges.  In the end, I chose to continue my academic career at University of Central Florida (UCF.)