June has finally arrived and the beginning of summer will soon be here too. At Mineola High School (MHS) students are trying to make it to the finish line with the thought of what this summer holds for them buried in the back of their minds. After all, summer vacation is like a timeout from reality. It gives students a break from school which relieves them mentally as well as physically and allows them to gather their strength up for next year. However, summer vacation is different for everyone. A few students shared their plans for the warm days of freedom approaching.
MHS student Sabrina Taranis has plans to travel to visit family.
“I’m going to Kosovo for the summer to visit my cousins and I have a house there,” she said. “Kosovo holds a special place in my heart. It represents my culture and family history, which is why I love going back to that kind of atmosphere.”
For some students, returning to their native country brings back good memories and allows them to be in an environment where they’re surrounded by people who are culturally like them. Some people go to other countries to visit family.
Jennifer Jacob said, “For the summer, I’m going to India because I have a lot of cousins and family members there. I’m just visiting them and planning on having a good time with them, and making as many memories as I possibly can with them because I don’t know when I’ll get the chance to see them again. I love going there because it’s my second home.”
Some people go to a different country to get a taste of adventure, escape from what is known and discover something new and exciting. Sam Levitan said, “I go to Ecuador to visit my family there for the summer. I like going there because there’s a different culture and community that exists in Ecuador. Also, I like going to Ecuador for the adventures. I get to climb mountains and go through exotic jungles. Sometimes, I get to go to the capital of Ecuador and I enjoy seeing the big differences between Ecuador and America. I’ve always liked a change of scenery and a little bit of adventure.”
For some, summer is about focusing on priorities and developing certain skills. Summer is the perfect opportunity to prepare for the year ahead.
“This summer I plan on studying for the SATs that I will be taking next year. I want to take classes over the summer and get a high score on my SATs,” said Jonathan Matthew. “I know that junior year is an important year and it’s the year when you start looking at colleges, so I want to do well in the upcoming year in order to have a successful future.”
Summer is a good time for students to get ahead of the game.
“Over the summer, I plan on taking classes in subjects that I find difficult,” Tanya Chuachingco said. “I want to improve on certain subjects and go into next year knowing those things. This year, I learned that waiting until the last minute isn’t a good idea and that planning ahead will benefit me in the end.”
Although, summer is about hanging out with friends and family and simply having fun and visiting cool and important places, it’s also about continuing to learn and develop new skills necessary in the future.
—Ziya Patel is a student
at Mineola High School
