Archive for the ‘Seniors '09’ Category
IMG Alumni Doing Well
Posted on: April 25, 2010
IMG Baseball
For those of you that were here last year, you might remember the likes of; L.J. Mazzilli, Quinn Pippin, Adam Zabel, John Ryan Murphy and Jack Daru to name a few. After battling out their senior season here at IMG, they were ready to graduate and move on to the college and professional rankings. John Ryan Murphy as many know, was drafted in the second round of the 2009 MLB draft and is having a very successful season in the Yankee’s organization. In my opinion the second most talent player to come out of last years graduating class was shortstop L.J. Mazzilli. Mazzilli is currently starting at the University of Connecticut as is hitting an impressive .290 and recorded his first home run of the year last week. During the summer, Mazzilli will continue his playing career in the Cape Cod League, a very talented league for amateur players. Quinn Pippin and Adam Zabel both are playing at Tulane University. Adam has started a majority of the games this year and Quinn is beginning to get playing time as the year goes on. Last but not least is catcher Jack Daru who is attending St. Leo’s University right here in Florida. Jack is splitting time behind the plate and has already hit a few home runs on the year. IMG alumni are doing very well at the next level. Look for many of these names to be called in the MLB draft within the next few years. All of these ballplayers are sincerely missed on campus and the ballpark, but we know they are doing all they can to be successful out in the real world.
The Editors 08-09
Posted on: May 30, 2009
Editorial Staff 2008-2009 John, Hannah, Sally, Megan, Lauren, Dirk, Xeniya, Justin, Shaaz (not pictured - Tyler, Jana)
Senior Profile: Gerardo Alvarez
Posted on: May 30, 2009
Gerardo Alvarez was born and raised in El Salvador. As he grew up so did his passion for golf. He came to IMG at the age of 14 and attended Pendleton school regularly. Although English is his second language he speaks it pretty well. He attended the David Leadbetter Golf Academy for 4 years with aspirations of becoming a phenomenal golfer. I think the combination of passion and great coaching, led Gerardo to become one of the longest hitters of the academy. With the help of Mr. Blaweiss he achieved his main goal this year to become a TCU student. I’m sure he looks back at his senior year as a success.
Senior Profile: Nam Padung
Posted on: May 30, 2009
Nam is a very happy person and his relaxed attitude helps him tremendously on the golf course. His favorite player is Tiger Woods because he has the ability to win whenever, whenever, and maintain a cool calm and collect golfing attitude. He is also a fan of basketball player Kobe Bryant because he “balls hard” and is a great athlete: consistent, overly confident and cocky. Nam loves golf because it’s such a mentally strengthening game and it trains you to make decision. Plus it’s a four-and-a-half hour long mental battle and anything can happen throughout the round . Nam uses Bob Marley’s wise words “Keep on keepin’ on” to stay motivated and determined when faced with challenges.
Senior Profile: Jordan Rizzo
Posted on: May 30, 2009
Jordan is an amazing golfer who takes life very seriously. He is smart, dedicated and loyal. He is inspired by Casey Wittenberg – a junior phenom who never took off like people thought he would. “He stuck it out through bad golf, low confidence, low money, and missed cuts, he kept working hard, he believed and persevered and now he is on the PGA tour. Steve Stricker- he went from mini tour to mini tour and finally made it to the PGA tour but family life took precedent over his golf. But he practiced in the snow all winter and went on to win one of the biggest tournament on the PGA tour the next season, true perseverance and belief.” He is also a big fan of the ever popular Tiger Woods because “no matter what he is focused on winning, everyday he wakes up and wants to do it better than everyone else, from his workouts at 5:30 am to his 8 hour practice days he has a focus and determination like no one else on the planet.” Jordan says that golf is the hardest sport he’s ever played. “It is a 4 and 1/2 hour mental grind. Every shot you hit has to be planned to include wind, slope, length and direction. It makes you smart and keeps you humble because the second you think you have it figured out it kicks you in the nuts but I love it.” Jordan’s favorite quote that helps him to get the most out of life is: “the person who has lived the most is not the one with the most years but rather the one with the richest experiences”-Jean Jaques Rossau. Jordan plans to attend West Florida University next year and continue playing golf.
Senior Profile: Alex Drecksel
Posted on: May 29, 2009
A first year Pendleton student, Alex made the move to come to Florida from little known Pocatello, Idaho. He was selected first team all-state as a junior and was not getting the recruiting looks he wanted. Moving to IMG would give him better exposure playing against higher competition. Alex did well this season, averaging about 15 points(second on the team behind Arizona bound Kyryl Natyazhko). He plans to attend Westminster College in the fall. The senior explains his decision, ” I’ve lived in Salt Lake City for most of my life, so it will be nice to go back to my roots. Westminster is a great academic school, one of the best in the West, and has a winning basketball program.” Drecksel says he will miss his coaches and teammates, and will always remember the experiences he had at IMG. He added one more incite, “2010 NBA champions… Utah Jazz.”
Senior Profile: Nnamdi Ekezie
Posted on: May 29, 2009
Nnamdi Ekezie, a Baltimore native, was always one of the leaders on the National team. Loved by everyone, Nnamdi was a friend to everybody. A valuble member of the team, Ekezie really developed this season coming off of a knee injury last summer. An athletic shooting/combo guard Ekezie worked hard on his ball handling and decision making this season, really improving in both areas. Ekezie comes from a basketball family, having one brother who played for University of Maryland, and in the NBA. Nnamdi plans to follow his older brother’s foot steps, pursuing a spot on the team at the University of Maryland. As a close friend of Nnamdi, I can really say everyone who ever knew this kid will truly miss him.
My Pendleton Experience
Posted on: May 29, 2009
I have been attending Pendleton for about 5 1/2 years. I also attended IMG for 2 years playing tennis. It was interesting to see how the academy and school have changed over the years. Unlike most schools, it is common for a student here to only stay one or two years and then return back home. This is can make it difficult to make good friends, though it helps in the future because you have friends all over the world. Pendleton and IMG have both changed a lot since I have been here. Pendleton for example, used to have a lot less school days and a lot less students. There have been at least 4 head masters and rules have changed. IMG has also changed a lot. Most tennis coaches that were here 5 years ago are no longer are here. Very few of the tennis students that attended when I played tennis are gone now. I remember when there was no deli, just the cafeteria. Next came Reggie’s Deli and now there is a new name for the deli. I am glad I attended Pendleton and IMG because I have made friends that I will have forever.
Senior Profile: Joel Menda
Posted on: May 29, 2009
Joel Menda is 18 and a senior this year at Pendleton. He has attended IMG for 1 year and plays golf. The thing he enjoyed most about IMG was meeting all new people from around the world. He also said he liked the class schedule at Pendleton (having two classes a day). He was born in Puerto Rico and plans to attend the University of Tampa. He is taking a semester off and plans to be a student in the spring. In his spare time Joel likes to play golf, eat chicken fingers and listen to music. Joel also likes to read articles about current events and play games. Joel took Tae Kwon Do for 3 years and earned a brown belt. He also does yoga in his spare time. He lives in Champions Walk with three roommates and a pet fish names Bert Daniels. Joel’s advice to the underclassmen is to “choose your classes wisely”.
Prom 2009
Posted on: May 29, 2009
Prom was on May 14, 2009. It was a fun night that started at 5:00pm when everyone met up at the limos. While everyone was waiting for their friends to arrive, many friends and family were taking pictures of everyone. Once everyone arrived the limos began to take off. My limo was the first to leave, and headed toward Bradenton Beach. After Bradenton Beach the limos headed toward St Armand’s Circle. In the limos my friends and I enjoyed talking, taking pictures and, listening to music. Our limo was also the first to arrive at the country club. When we got to the club we took photos with our dates and friends. After everyone had arrived and had taken their photos we began to eat dinner. Dinner was good provided by El Conquistador Country Club. After dinner everyone started dancing to the music provided by the DJ. Dancing was the favorite part for most of the event. At 11:00 the prom was over and everyone went back to IMG in the buses. I enjoyed prom this year!
Pendleton Leadership Corps 2009
Posted on: May 29, 2009
Senior Profile: Patrick Waugh
Posted on: May 28, 2009
Patrick Waugh, or Paco or Patty, or however you want to call him is also a senior at the Pendleton School. He plays baseball and is on the varsity team that only lost one game this 2008 – 2009 season . The Pendleton team went 31-1 and won four tournaments. Who knows, maybe Paco’s pitching was doing some good to the team. Although he is not black or darked skin he a straight Bahaman and has lived in Nassau, Bahamas for his whole life. He has been here for almost three years – he arrived for the second semester of 10th grade. He is going to move to Tampa and go to Eckerd College to major in buisness and pitch for the baseball team. He told me, “the thing that has helped me the most is the physical part of IMG because the baseball players train every day.”
Looking Back on Four Years
Posted on: May 28, 2009
After being here for the last 4 years I can honestly say this was the best experience of my life. I will never regret coming here because I have met so many new, great people and have made a ton of friends over the years. Many of these people I have met I will keep in touch with because they have become my new family while I was here. I have experienced and done things in my life that not most high schoolers can say they have done yet. Coming to IMG has definitely made me mature and grow up in a way but I’m still a kid looking to have fun at heart. It has been a great 4 years here and I know I have to move on but I will never forget the amazing times I have had while being at IMG.
Senior Profile: Cyna Rodriguez
Posted on: May 28, 2009
Cyna is a senior at the Pendleton school and has been at IMG for two years as she is known and liked by almost everybody across campus. Cyna is one of the reasons many girls travel to IMG as they see her accomplishments and hope to follow in her footsteps. She has had a high school career far from normal as she currently competes in tournaments for the Phillipines Junior National and National teams. As Cyna has succeeded in the junior golf world she hopes to continue her success at the college level as she will travel to California this fall to play golf on a scholarship at USC. Cyna is currently ranked 70th in the world by Golfweek among female junior golfers, and will be remembered among IMG staff and students for many years. Hopefully she can lead her Trojans to a national championship in her time at USC.
Senior Profile: Walker Yaw
Posted on: May 28, 2009
Walker’s name pretty much gets you all the information you need about him among the IMG campus. Known for being a kid that enjoys himself and says and does what he wants for the most part. Walker has been at IMG for two years now and will be moving on to play Division II golf at USC Aiken next year. Walker has enjoyed his time here and looks forward to the future as he has the chance to compete with a team that generally has a good shot at winning a national championship from year to year. Walker has improved his golf game over the last year and hopes to continue to improve so he can start at USC Aiken next year. Hopefully he can complete his goals and continue to find success with golf. As for everything else, I think Walker will continue to be Walker – enjoying himself on a daily basis.
Senior Profile: Brad Doliner
Posted on: May 28, 2009
Brad Doliner is on my U-18 Academy League team and has become a good friend and team mate. He has attended IMG for two years now. He has gone to Pendleton both years and studied under many different teachers. Last year, he was an intrigal part of his U-16 Academy team and this year he has stepped up and helped the U-18 team with many important contributions. He has plans to attended the University of Kentucky next year. He works hard and when focused can become very successful. He has played as both a right back and a center back on our team. His favorite quote is from Tom Durkin: “There are lions and antelopes. It is your job each day to make sure you are not the slowest antelope, but rather a lion.” He is looking forward to attending Kentucky next year and I have no doubt he will be successful.
Senior Profile: Matt Glodack
Posted on: May 28, 2009
Matt Glodack first attended IMG during the second semester of last year. He played on the U – 16 Academy team and this year he became the MVP of the U-19 team. Matt was a very important part of the team and played many different positions ranging from center back to forward. He has an incredible work ethic while with his team and even on his own. Matt’s dedication will take him far in soccer. His hard work has earned him a couple of very good performances with the U-18 Academy team. He will be back as a post grad next fall and I expect his hard work over the summer will pay off in dividends. He will play on the Academy team next fall and he has the opportunity to become a very important member of the team. His college search is uncertain at this point, but I am sure that no matter where he goes, he will be very successful.
Senior Profile: Julian Garcia
Posted on: May 28, 2009
Julian Garcia is the type of guy that everyone wants on the field with them. He is a hard worker on the field, but then again he isn’t all serious all the time. He knows when to have fun, and play around too. Julian is the type of guy that will come into the game if you need a hit, and he will produce that hit. He is the type of kid that if he is playing second base then you know he will give it his all to make a play, and get to that ball before it makes its way to the outfield. Julian Garcia is a good teammate, and a good person.
Mr. Kennedy – the “Graduates Choice”
Posted on: May 28, 2009
Last week all of the seniors of the Pendleton school went to the senior beach trip, where we elected the favorite teacher of Pendleton seniors. And this is the teacher that I was fortunate to have this year for Current Events – Mr. Kennedy. Although not many people have him this year, all of the lucky ones that do agree on the fact that he is by far the coolest teacher in Pendleton. This year Mr. Kennedy was the teacher for American History and Current Events, and I have to say the Current Events class was amazing. In the 4th quarter of this school year we gained a different perspective on life through exploring the lives of people that are not as fortunate as we are. We also had some discussions that led us to the topics that we would never had explored otherwise. I think that Mr. Kennedy truly deserves to be the “Graduates’ Choice” award winner this year. I am sure that after the speech he is going to give on graduation, all of the seniors and the rest of the students will show their appreciation to Mr. Kennedy.
Seniors Night
Posted on: May 28, 2009
Seniors night is just around the corner, but unfortunately not too many people know about it. The way Pendleton officials told the students and parents about it, this night actually looks very promising, since all of those who are planning to attend will have a nice sit down dinner. Another reason for it to be so important is the fact that we get to meet parents of out peers. I think it is a great chance to be introduced to parents, and I also think that the memory of a nice dinner will remain with us forever. So far, a lot of my friends are planning to attend this dinner with their parents, however not as many as I wish there were. So I strongly encourage everyone to see Mrs. Woods and arrange the tickets to this great event. This is going to be one of the last memories that we are going to have about our years spent in high school, and hopefully everyone would have a chance to participate and carry this memory with them forever.
Why is Graduation Such a Big Deal?
Posted on: May 28, 2009
Why is graduation such a big deal? It is almost comical to me how serious graduation is taken, starting from the very beginning sending out invitations to, from what I can tell with the number of invitations I was given, over a dozen people. I know that it is a good accomplishment to graduate from high school, but let’s be honest, it doesn’t really get you anywhere in life unless you go onto college, which is why back home college graduation is when we have a big celebration. If you graduate college, then the opportunities can be endless, but graduating high school is really something I guess people are just expected to do where I am from. Saying all of that, it is quite fun to be part of what I am sure will be a very memorable occasion.
Saying Goodbye
Posted on: May 28, 2009
Saying goodbye is never easy, especially when you are not sure if it is forever. I hope that I see all of my friends from IMG at some point down the road but realistically there are some people here I will probably never see again. Even the people I will meet at some point in the future there is no knowing how long it will be until that time. I could see them within the next year or it could be several years. I am not the type of person who gets upset when saying goodbye, mostly because I know when I will see the person next, but this time is different. My friends, and dorm staff, well some of them, have become like my second family. They are the people I turn to for everything, who pick me up when I am sad, and who have shared many moments of laughter with me. They have impacted my life beyond their knowledge and for once in my life the thought of having to say goodbye brings a tear (or more realistically many tears) to my eyes.
Senior Profile- Marc-Richard Culmer
Posted on: May 28, 2009
Marc-Richard Culmer is from the Bahamas. On his free time, Marc- Richard likes to spend time with Patrick Waugh and Jack Repokis going to Smoothie King. Culmer has attended Pendleton for two years. He plays outfield. His senior year he only played 7 games because he hurt his knee. He finished the year with a .333 batting average with only 12 at bats. Culmer is undecided on where he is going for college but he is going to play ball somewhere. Even though Culmer didn’t play because of his injury, he was a big part of our team. He attended every game and even went on the road trip to Westminster during his spring break to be there for the team.
Senior Profile: Tom Dragon
Posted on: May 28, 2009
Tom Dragon is a baseball player from Boston, Massachusetts. He is a Red Sox fan and especially likes Ken Griffey because he always plays with a smile no matter the situation. Another favorite athlete of his is Roy Jones jr. the boxer. Tom admires his cockiness and dominance. He is also a big fan of Harry Agganis- “the golden Greek”. Agganis is a two sport athlete who played for the redsox and football at BC. Tom loves baseball because it teaches you about life, you can do everything right and still loose or everything wrong and still win. It makes you keep a cool head and if u keep at it it’ll pay off. He plays his games with the phrase “it aint over till its over” in mind to keep him motivated.
Senior Profile: Abdul Sihag
Posted on: May 28, 2009
Abdul Sihag is a senior here at the Pendleton School. Coming from Mombasa, Kenya he is one of the only representatives the David Leadbetter Golf Academy has from the continent of Africa. Finishing up his 5th year at the academy, Abdul has seen many changes to the golf academy. Moving around from three different coaches in five years has taught Abdul how to deal and adapt to change. Though Abdul said the coaching situation had been frustrating, he believed that every change helped him improve one way or another. Abdul plans to spend the next year at home in Kenya working on his golf game though his future plans include returning to the states to play collegiate golf. The Pendleton School would like to wish Abdul the best of luck in the future!
Senior Profile: Tae Lim
Posted on: May 27, 2009
Tae Heung Lim will be completing his 5th and final year here at the Pendleton School. Tae has been here much longer than most students and has seen the Pendleton grow from a student body of 200 to a current student body of 430. “Day and night” are the words he uses to describe the changes to Pendleton during his tenure here. Tae’s golf game has really come full circle and he will be attending Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida this upcoming fall. Rollins College is a top golf program and the competition there should give Tae an evenhanded challenge. This summer Tae plans to split his time between Florida and his native South Korea. The Pendleton School would like to wish Tae the best of luck in the future!
Senior Profile: Michael Jorge
Posted on: May 27, 2009
Michael Jorge was born on September 26th 1990. He is a golfer and he comes from the Dominican Republic. He has been in the David Leadbetter Golf Academy for 4 years now. He has been at The Pendleton School since he was in 9th grade and his grades are rather good. Michael has shown very big improvements in the golf area. His coach Scott has helped him for a long time and now the progress is being shown. Michael also likes parties and he is very sociable. His favorite music is reggaeton. Michael likes to play soccer on the weekends with his friends and he also likes to workout. He is a very disciplined person in everything he does. At school he has good grades. One of his favorite classes is Current Events with Mr. Kennedy where he likes watching the Wire every A day and then commenting on the episode. Michael is planning to go to Lynn University in Miami where he will study politics.
Senior Profile: Benjamin Murray
Posted on: May 27, 2009
Ben Murray was born on November 13th of 1991. He was born in Canada. He has been at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy for the past 2 years. He has improved a lot during this time and he has won once this year at the FCWT in Mystic Dunes. He will also play some AJGA tournaments this summer. He is one of the most dedicated guys I have seen here. He plays everyday including Saturdays and Sundays and he practices after school as well after 5 pm. whenever he can, he takes a metro car to our golf course and plays. He is taking a year off before going to college in 2010. His plans are either come here again or stay home. His grades at Pendleton are really good; he takes AP classes and some honor classes as well. His GPA is 4.0 and he will not have any trouble at all looking for a college next year.
Seniors!
Posted on: May 27, 2009
Seniors are finished with high school and are now heading off to college; juniors are now seniors and so on… The year is actually over, it is crazy to think I have been for three years and now we are all graduating. Prom was great and now we have graduation, I mean personally it is weird to think about myself walking with a cap and gown. Senior year has been awesome and I will miss all of my friends so much, as will everyone else. All of the friendships made here were made on a different level, friends here are not really friends, and they are family. It is going to be hard to say goodbye to all the people that I have seen day in and day out for years but I know that the strong friendships that I made here will last forever and for that I am thankful for.
Senior Profile: Mike Yang
Posted on: May 27, 2009
Micheal Yang, a senior attending IMG Academies for the David Leadbetter Academy just won the matchplay event at El Conquistador. Its an event that The Leadbetter Academy just started this year and it turned out to be a pretty good event. The matchplay started out with the top 64 players on the money list from the Saturday tournaments that have been played throughout the year. Micheal Yang beat multiple people in order to get in the finals, and in the finals ended up beating Sally Watson 3 and 2. The prize for winning is an all expense payed trip to California to TPI where Micheal will be fitted for a complete new set of clubs. Micheal is one of the best senior athletes to attend The Leadbetter Academy this year, and will be attending UC Irvine on a scholarship for the golf team. Hopefully he will continue his success and possibly make it to the next level after his four years in college.
The Pendleton Panther 
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