Meet GRACE VANPOELVOORDE! She’s in 10th Grade at Naples High School. She’s taking normal core classes like Math, Science, Orchestra, and English. Grace wants to major in Culinary Science and possibly minor in Creative Learning. Grace also adores her little sister.
Q: What inspired you to select Creative Science classes and Culinary Sciences?
A: “I am more of a science and artistic person. Creative writing is a way to express myself and I just really think how food is put together and how things are chemically composed, that’s really interesting to me and wanted to pursue that.”
Q: What are some activities you participated in at school?
A: “I’m in the orchestra, I also participate in Model UN, it’s something we do where we go to other schools in a sort of UN setting and debate as they would in real life. I am also in the Literature Club, where we write stories and submit them.”
Q: What’s special about Naples High School?
A: “I love the school because I’ve been destined to go there my entire school career; there’s so much tradition! We are the oldest high school in the entire county so we have a lot of people that have passed through here, some in the 1950s!”
Q: How long have you lived in Naples?
A: “I was born here, so I lived here my entire life.”
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be? And why?
A: “I will travel to Seoul or South Korea in general. I love their culture and diversity. I also want to go there because of the genre of music called K POP, I love the selection! there’s RNB, Rap, Ballad, etc.”
Q: What is your favorite music/ 3 bands you would like to see (dead or alive)?
A: “I have a lot but I love BTS, they’re probably the most popular right now worldwide. The music they make has great messages like self-love and discuss problems that teenagers deal with. It’s really inspiring how they’re talking about all these and have the courage to do so. And I think they’re doing a great job of reaching out to youth.”
Q: What is the happiest memory you had?
A: “When I was 11, my sister was born, she’s 3 now. My happiest memory was holding her for the first time. The feeling of sisterly love and wanting to protect her; it was a really nice feeling.”
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?
A: “In Naples still, pursuing my career and my degree.”
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in Naples?
A: “A few years ago, I was tutored by Matt Medlock who is in the Naples Philharmonic, he’s really a great bassist, an amazing person and I really admire him.”
Q: What is something you would like people to know about Naples?
A: “I love the city, it’s really nice and homey.”
Q: What 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
A: “Safe, warm and comforting.”