When he came to Marco Island Academy as a freshman in 2016, Hunter Delgado was excited for what was to come. MIA was new territory for him, but he remained hopeful and looked forward to what the school had to offer.

Spending all four years at MIA introduced him to challenges and new people, but Hunter made many friends along the way. He was also involved in sports at MIA, playing baseball all four years and football from his sophomore year to his senior year.

Part of Marco Island Academy’s educational curriculum is AICE courses, and Hunter was no stranger to them. Hunter said that the AICE courses he took “prepared [him] for what college courses were going to be like.” He said that taking AICE courses was definitely worth it, as it has helped him understand his college classes much better.

Hunter had many teachers during his four years, but his two favorites were Mr. Scalia and Mr. Eder. Hunter said that the classes he had with Mr. Scalia “have definitely helped me with college, as his classes taught me to be patient and allowed me to further develop my writing skills.” He said that Mr. Eder was always supportive and “encouraged creativity and artistry” in his classroom.

Hunter was accepted into Florida International University in Miami and is currently in his freshman year of college. He emphasized how happy he is at FIU as he has met “really cool people and couldn’t ask for better roommates and friends.” Hunter is currently taking an American History class and World Ethnographies, which is the art of writing culture.

Making the move from a small school to a big university can be stressful for many, but not for Hunter. He says it was “definitely a big adjustment, as MIA has around 230 students while FIU has close to 50,000.” Although it was a big change, Hunter has made the best of it. He said that being in Miami allows him to venture out and enjoy new things like “museums and art galleries downtown, and some even on FIU’s campus.” In his free time, Hunter is doing what he looked forward to the most about college. He says this consists of “going out to eat with friends or walking downtown.” 

Looking back on his time at Marco Island Academy, Hunter said his biggest takeaway was being able to manage and balance out his studies and social life easily – making his college life “much easier.” Hunter is studying Anthropology/Sociology and plans to graduate college with a Bachelor’s degree. After graduation, he hopes to have a successful career ahead of him, as well as being around the people he loves.