Highlighting an Outstanding Senior at Farragut Career Academy

You can’t create a list of our amazing members of the Class of 2025 without including Ximena from Farragut Career Academy. She says that she has had a great experience at Farragut, in part because of all of the different activities and programs the school offers. The best part of her time in high school has been the people. In her eyes, Farragut is full of dedicated staff members who strive every single day to give her and her peers a quality education. 

Earlier this year, Ximena was named a Posse Scholar, which means that she has received a full-tuition scholarship to attend Cornell University next year. We interviewed her to hear more about how this achievement came to be. Get to know her more below. 

What are your interests both inside and outside of the classroom? 

My favorite subject is definitely history. It’s super interesting. Outside of the classroom, I love reading. I’m a huge bookworm. I also enjoy writing and do a lot of journaling. If I’m not reading or writing, there’s a good chance you’ll find me in the park with my dog or exploring nature in another way. And I’m very interested in student voice, which is something that I dabble in both inside and outside of school. 

What are some of your favorite memories of attending Farragut? 

I’m in Farragut’s JROTC program, and we recently had our military ball, which is our annual event where we come together to celebrate everything we’ve accomplished. Some cadets are recognized with awards, and we also had a nice dinner as well as dancing and other fun activities. It’s a great community. 

I also spent two years in the CTE law program here at Farragut, which I really enjoyed. The teachers in it are just so good at their jobs and have made learning so much fun. They found a way to make everything we learned in class very engaging and relatable. 

How has your senior year been going? 

It’s been hard academically, because I am in the IB diploma program, but it has also been a lot of fun. Knowing that it’s senior year and that we’re going to graduate soon has taken a weight off my shoulders and allowed me to be more engaged than I have in past years. Engaging in all of the different activities has ended up being very enjoyable. 

What was your reaction to being named a Posse Scholar? 

It was kind of unexpected. I felt that I hadn’t done as well as I could have in our final interview because I get a little awkward in big groups. When I heard the news, I couldn’t believe it, so I just started laughing. My mom was sitting next to me, and she started crying. There were a lot of mixed emotions, but the largest one was definitely excitement. 

What are you looking forward to most in college, and where do you see yourself in the future? 

I’m excited for all of the opportunities. I’ve already been scrolling through the Cornell website to see the different courses, extracurricular activities, and student organizations they offer. In the future, I hope to be a practicing attorney who is able to help out the community. 

What advice would you give to future Farragut seniors? 

Get involved in everything you can. Even if you’re hesitant about something, whether it be a certain class or a sport, you should definitely try it out. The experience and connections you will gain are worth it. Everything that I’ve accomplished here started with me taking a leap of faith and trying something new. 

What is your message to everyone who has supported you in high school? 

Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for pushing me even when I was ready to give up. I’ve had a great support system that has been the launchpad for me to be successful.