Sarasota High School STRIVE Award Recipients

Riley Jenkins | Two months after her dad was arrested again, Riley Jenkins and her grandmother drove past Stardust, a skating rink in Sarasota. Riley’s grandmother asked if she wanted to try roller skating and was soon helping her six-year-old granddaughter lace up a pair of rental skates.

Riley loved rolling around the rink and returned the next week. That day, she watched a club member doing a routine, twirling in the air like an ice skater, landing, and gracefully rolling away. Riley began to imitate the older girl, who noticed the interest and encouraged her to sign up for lessons. Riley has been roller skating competitively ever since.

Riley’s advice to incoming freshmen: “Stay on top of your work and value your mental health and yourself over anything else.”

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