Senior Spotlight: Rachel Drake
Rachel Drake is a senior on the Marco Island Academy’s cheerleading team and has been since her freshman year. “I’ve been doing cheer for about 9 years and I did competitive cheer when I was younger,” said Drake. She and Kendall Jacobs have been cheering since elementary school. Her favorite thing about cheer is stunting and seeing the support for the teams at every game.
Around MIA Rachel is not only known for being on the cheer team but also for creating the “GoFundMe” for Mr. Butler’s dog, Caribou Lou, who needed her leg amputated because of cancer. Last February, after hearing Mr. Butler talking about Caribou needing the surgery, Rachel decided to start a “GoFundMe” to help pay for her surgery. With the help of the staff members, students and former students, they were able to raise $4,180 in 17 days which was enough money to pay for the surgery and even surpassed the original goal that they had set.
Over the last four years, Rachel has had three favorite teachers, Mr.Butler, Mr. Scalia, and Mrs. Galiana. Mr. Butler is one of her favorites because he cares about his students and always has a positive attitude. Mr. Scalia is another one of her favorite teachers because he holds student meetings every once in a while to check up on how each student is doing in class and gives you the chance to talk about anything else going on in your life. Her other favorite teacher is Mrs. Galiana because she is positive, energetic, and always wants to help make sure you’re doing well in her class. “A common trait that all of my favorite teachers share is that they make their students comfortable and care,” Drake said.
“I’m not 100% sure where I want to go to college yet but have applied to a few Florida schools,” said Drake. She doesn’t plan on cheering in college since it’s a big commitment and she wants to have more time to focus on doing well in her classes. She would like to major in business or business management in college. In the future, she sees herself working for her parent’s business and someday taking over. Rachel will be missed, but everyone at MIA is looking forward to what’s in store for her future.