Bloomingdale High School senior Simona Gaspar-Zacarias was one of four seniors in the Hillsborough County School District to be awarded the Superintendent Scholarship.
Each year, high school administrative teams select a graduating senior from their school who has overcome significant challenges to reach graduation. The students are called Unique Seniors. A Unique Senior is chosen from each high school, Hillsborough Virtual School and the Medical Academy of D.W. Waters. They are highlighted on the district’s Facebook page. For the past six years, Hillsborough County Public Schools has partnered with Florida Prepaid to support student success from kindergarten through postsecondary education. A key feature of this partnership is the Superintendent Scholarship. The scholarship provides four Unique Senior scholarship winners with up to 60 credit hours at a Florida state college, university or trade school.
Gaspar-Zacarias began attending Bloomingdale High School in ninth grade. In 10th grade, her grandmother in Guatemala needed financial support for health issues, and her mother required unexpected surgery. Gaspar-Zacarias’ father struggled to provide for the family while working extra hours, leaving him unable to care for her mother full-time.
To help her family, Gaspar-Zacarias decided to leave Bloomingdale and work full-time. She spent a year in the fields with migrant families, financially supporting her grandmother, mother and two younger siblings, and caring for her mother post-surgery. Due to her responsibilities, Gaspar-Zacarias could not complete virtual school.
Once her mother recovered, Gaspar-Zacarias’ parents insisted she return to school to earn her diploma. She reenrolled at Bloomingdale in 11th grade and passed all her classes. In her senior year, Gaspar-Zacarias made up her 10th grade second-semester classes, passed her reading and math benchmarks and completed her senior year coursework, on track to graduate. Alongside her studies, she worked at McDonald’s and continues to do so.
Gaspar-Zacarias wants other students to know that they can graduate regardless of their circumstances.
“My graduation story is complex. If I can do it, they can do it! I am very grateful for this opportunity after facing so many challenges along my journey,” she said.
Melissa Caryer, Gaspar-Zacarias’ school counselor at Bloomingdale, said Gaspar-Zacarias is the epitome of perseverance and determination.
“As her counselor, I am so proud of her. I haven’t seen many students overcome challenging situations as gracefully as she has. She will do something amazing in her life because she has the tenacity to do it,” Caryer said.
Gaspar-Zacarias is grateful for the scholarship and excited about her future education. She plans to attend Hillsborough Community College and become a nurse at an obstetrician’s office.
“I feel grateful to have received this scholarship. I was worried about how I was going to pay for the tuition. This scholarship took that stress away from me. I am now able to save money for the rest of my degree. My family and I are very happy and grateful for the opportunity,” Gaspar-Zacarias said.
