Keyly Velasquez is a sophomore here at Santaluces. At school, Keyly is a part of the yearbook team and is a member of the Spanish National Honors Society.

This school year, Velasquez takes a wide-range of classes and maintains impressive grades throughout. “My sophomore year is going very well because I have been making a lot of new friends. The classroom standards have become tougher, but I’m always ready to take on any challenge given to me,” she explained.

Being a part of the Spanish National Honors Society is one of Keyly’s biggest accomplishments this year. In this club, she has participated in fundraisers and field trips. Recently, the Spanish National Honors Society members visited Lion Country Safari. During this trip, the students were able to experience animal encounters and learn more about their environment. “Being in this club allows me to express my Salvadoran culture without being judged. We all get to share pride in the different countries we’re from, so we create a family bond with one another,” stated Keyly.

Outside of school, Keyly enjoys playing soccer with her family at the park and volunteering at her church. “I am a youth leader at my church, so every Wednesday I go there to teach the younger kids about the past and present religious education.” stated Keyly.

During the summer, Velasquez volunteers at the Rainforest Clinic For Birds in Loxahatchee. She commented, “My responsibilities at the clinic varies every day. Some days I have to clean out the bowls and birdcages and refill them with food and water. Other days, I have to keep up with the amount of baby birds that are born. If it’s a boy, I have to put a blue clothespin on their cage and the same if they are girls but with the color pink instead.”

After high school, Velasquez hopes to attend Palm Beach State College or Florida Community College to become a cosmetologist. “After I graduate, I’m not sure if I want to go straight to college only because I want to help my parents out financially. I want to learn the value of helping my parents pay bills and taking responsibilities into my own hands,” she expressed.